On October 14, Romania’s Supreme Court ruled in favor of Eco Ruralis and ROMAPIS (the Romanian Federation of Beekeeping Associations) in their ongoing legal battle against emergency authorizations for neonicotinoid pesticides.
The two organisations challenged the emergency derogations that have allowed the use of neonicotinoids banned in the EU, repeatedly granted by Romania’s Ministry of Agriculture over the past 12 years. In the latest legal proceeding, concerning a derogation for the use of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam on maize and sunflower seeds, the Cluj Court of Appeal dismissed their claim and ordered them to pay more than RON 18,000 (approximately USD 3,790) in legal costs.
The Supreme Court has now overturned that decision, removing the obligation to pay these costs and sending the case back to the Cluj Court of Appeal for a new hearing. The derogation has not yet been suspended, but this ruling represents an important first victory.
Read the ruling (in Romanian) here.
