The Minister of Agriculture has once again approved in an emergency regime the use of dangerous pesticides, which kill bees, at the beginning of 2025. The substances are prohibited in the European Union, and the European justice clarified that their approval in an emergency regime is not legal. However, Romania gives exemptions for their use year after year.
Romania began the year 2025 by openly defying European Union legislation, Policio writes. Bucharest’s emergency approvals for banned insecticides push the sunflower crop sector against EU law and reveal Brussels’ difficulties in enforcing it.
The Ministry of Agriculture has quietly approved the use of Cruiser 350 FS – a neonicotinoid insecticide banned in the EU due to its devastating impact on pollinators. This decision directly defies the historic decision of January 2023 of the Court of Justice of the European Union, which prohibits such derogations, exposing a growing fault between Bucharest and the EU authorities regarding compliance with environmental regulations, writes Politico.
Bucharest authorized the use of Cruiser 350 FS for corn and sunflower crops in 2025, along with a number of other banned chemicals, citing severe pest infestations and economic pressures. This defiance raises questions about Romania’s interpretation of EU legislation and highlights the difficulty of the European Commission in implementing its rules.
Romania’s arguments for violating EU legislation
The sunflower sector in Romania – one of the largest in Europe – is the “cornerstone” of the agricultural economy. Farmers in southern and southeastern Romania, where sunflowers and corn dominate the agricultural landscape, face significant threats from soil pests such as the corn leaf weevil (Tanymecus dilaticollis) and wireworms (Agriotes spp.). These pests can devastate early-stage crops, forcing costly reseeding and reducing yields in monoculture fields. In the absence of treatments such as those with neonicotinoids, farmers warn of the total loss of crops in some affected areas. The Ministry of Agriculture mentioned these risks in its decision, stating that treated seeds will be limited to areas with serious pest infestations, and strict controls will minimize risks to the environment.
But neonicotinoids – or neonics – are also widely recognized for their harmful effects on pollinating insects, with studies linking their use to the decline of bee populations and the loss of biodiversity in general. This is why the EU banned the use of Cruiser 350 FS and other neonics in 2018.
The CJEU decision of 2023 was intended to eliminate the loopholes that allowed Romania and other member countries to routinely circumvent these bans. Countries such as France and Belgium, among the biggest users of neonicotinoids in the EU, quickly complied. However, Romania continued to authorize their emergency use in 2023, 2024 — and now in 2025, POLITICO reports.
The European Commission has not yet reacted
The European Commission told POLITICO that it has not yet received official notification regarding Romania’s latest waivers. However, spokeswoman Eva Hrncirova confirmed that the issue is under discussion within the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed – a Commission-led group that brings together representatives of national ministries and provides advice on implementation of policies.
Hrncirova emphasized the Commission’s commitment to work closely with Romania, but did not specify whether a procedure for violation of Community law could follow (infringement – no)
Romanian beekeepers lament the decisions of the Ministry of Agriculture
Romanian beekeepers are among the most vehement critics of the use of neonicotinoids and have repeatedly appealed to the EU authorities to act. They warn that the continued use of these banned pesticides is pushing many bee farms to the brink of collapse. With massive colony losses, recovery efforts are increasingly futile as years of exposure to neonicotinoids leave hives too weakened to recover. Beyond the economic impact, beekeepers argue that declining pollinator populations threaten entire ecosystems and food security.
Despite these concerns, Romania’s Ministry of Agriculture maintains that there are no viable alternatives to protect crops in the face of growing threats from pests, market pressures caused by the war in Ukraine and climate challenges.
Sensitive political moment
Romania’s defiance also comes against the backdrop of political instability, notes POLITICO. The country recently faced turmoil after far-right candidate Călin Georgescu, who ran on a nationalist and anti-EU platform, won the first round of presidential elections, the results of which were later annulled amid allegations of Russian interference.
Brussels’ reluctance to act stems in part from a fear of alienating Eastern European member states, increasingly resistant to the bloc’s sustainability goals. The situation reflects a growing tension between economic realities and EU pressure for greener policies, especially in regions more dependent on agriculture, comments Politico.
Critics argue that Brussels’ inaction signals to member countries that economic priorities can prevail over environmental legislation. “This sets a dangerous precedent,” said Martin Dermine of PAN Europe, an NGO campaigning against pesticide use. If Bucharest goes unpunished, he said, it could trigger a domino effect of defiance across the bloc, threatening the EU’s credibility in terms of meeting its environmental commitments.
Source: ziare.com
