The Guardian, 27 April, 2018, Damian Carrington Environment editor

The European Union will ban neonicotinoids, the world’s most widely used insecticides from all fields by the end of 2018.  They kill bees and other insects which pollinate three-quarters of all crops and have been blamed, in part, for the decimation of pollinators in recent years.

The ban has widespread public support, with almost 5 million people signing a petition from campaign group Avaaz.