Avaaz welcomes European lifeline thrown to bees

**2 year EU pesticides ban agreed today can allow bee recovery**

Global campaign organisation Avaaz today welcomed the EU ban on bee killing pesticides. Pressure from 2.6 million citizens, including protests by beekeepers, helped persuade countries including Spain and Germany to change positions and get the ban agreed.

Iain Keith, Senior Campaigner for Avaaz said:

“Today’s pesticide ban throws Europe’s bees a vital lifeline, following a massive campaign backed by 2.6 million people. Europe is taking science seriously and must now put the full ban in place, to give bees the breathing space they need.”

Today, in an appeal committee vote, enough governments voted for the ban so now the Commission can now move forward and implement it from the start of 2014. Industry lobbied intensely against the ban, and late last week Hungary proposed to fatally weaken the proposal. But Germany - which abstained in the last vote in March - swung round to vote for the ban, after massive protests from beekeepers, Avaaz members and other environmental groups.

Avaaz’s two year long campaign, has involved:

• a petition signed by over 2.6 million people

• Almost 450,000 emails sent to EU Agriculture ministers.

• Commissioning public opinion polls in the UK and Germany which found 71% of Brits supported the ban and 90% of Germans.

• Organised demonstrations in Cologne, London, Brussels and Madrid.

Avaaz today held a protest with a giant bee and beekeepers outside the meeting in Brussels.
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Avaaz is a 21-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages). Our team is spread across 19 countries on 5 continents and operates in 16 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s latest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.