Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for bees for the active substance imidacloprid considering the uses as seed treatments and granules.

The EFSA was asked by the European Commission to perform an updated risk assessment of neonicotinoids, including imidacloprid, as regards the risk to bees, as a follow-up of previous mandates received from the European Commission on neonicotinoids. The context of the evaluation was that required by the European Commission in accordance with Article 21 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to review the approval of active substances in light of new scientific and technical knowledge and monitoring data. In this context and in accordance with Article 31 of Regulation (EC) No 178/2002, EFSA has been previously asked by the European Commission to organise an open call for data in order to collect new scientific information as regards the risk to bees from the neonicotinoid pesticide active substances clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid applied as seed treatments and granules in the EU. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the supported uses as an insecticide of imidacloprid applied as seed treatments and granules, on the new relevant data collected in the framework of the open call organised by EFSA and on the updated literature search performed by EFSA. The reliable endpoints, appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment derived from the submitted studies and literature data as well as any other relevant data available at national level and made available to EFSA, are presented. Concerns are identified.