The Scottish Wildlife Trust believes the use of three types of neonicotinoid pesticides on outdoor crops should be banned to ensure that pollinators and other wildlife are permanently protected from these damaging insecticides.

We are delighted that the European Union has decided that due to the harm caused by these chemicals they should be banned from being used outdoors later in 2018. We believe that these regulations should remain in place when the United Kingdom leaves the EU.

For more information download our campaign briefing.


Campaign history

December 2016 marked the third anniversary of the introduction of restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides in the European Union. The Scottish Wildlife Trust, Buglife Scotland, Butterfly Conservation Scotland and RSPB Scotland wrote to both of the relevant Cabinet Secretaries to call for the continuation and extension of the ban on harmful neonicotinoids to protect Scotland’s bees and pollinating insects.

Read the letter to Fergus Ewing, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity

Read the letter to Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform

In December 2015 the Scottish Wildlife Trust and Buglife Scotland wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment Richard Lochhead, urging the Scottish Government to make the ban on these three neonicotinoids permanent in Scotland. RSPB Scotland and Butterfly Conservation Scotland also signed the letter.

Read the letter to Richard Lochead, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Food and Environment

Read the response from the Scottish Government

View presentations from our Scottish Parliament Roundtable discussion event

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