Outdoor use of metaldehyde to be banned, Defra confirms
18th September 2020
Farming minister Victoria Prentis has announced that the outdoor use of metaldehyde will be banned in Great Britain from the end of March 2022.
Farming minister Victoria Prentis has announced today (18th September) that the outdoor use of metaldehyde will be banned in Great Britain from the end of March 2022.
The decision follows advice from the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides and the Health and Safety Executive, regarding risks to birds and mammals, Defra says.
It will continue to be legal to sell metaldehyde products until 31st March 2021, with the use of products then allowed for a further 12 months until 31st March 2022.
Announcing the move, Victoria Prentis said: “The scientific evidence is clear – the risks metaldehyde poses to the environment and to wildlife are too great.
“The government is committed to building back greener from Coronavirus and the restrictions on the use of metaldehyde are another step towards building a cleaner and greener country for the next generation.”
A ban on the outdoor use of metaldehyde was originally announced in December 2018, but was overturned following a legal challenge from Chiltern Farm Chemicals, on the basis that the then environment secretary Michael Gove had failed to form his own view on the impact of the metaldehyde products on non-target species.
