Emergency approval of pesticides that harm bees will end, Defra has promised.

The government has said that the emergency use of three pesticides that have proved fatal to bees will soon be stopped.

Neonicotinoids were banned in 2018, but sugar beet growers have been given special permission to use them every year for the past four years to fight viral yellows, a disease spread by aphids.

The government announced on Saturday that it would consider “legislative options” that would legally prevent the future use of three specific neonicotinoids.

Meanwhile, an application by the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) and British Sugar for emergency use in 2025 will still have to be considered under current rules.

The two organizations said industry work on developing alternative ways to fight the disease – which has caused up to 80 percent of crop losses in the past – was “advancing well”.

The NFU added that simply having a list of banned products for which no emergency authorization could be used “could set a worrying precedent” but wildlife groups welcomed the government’s announcement.

Craig Bennett, chief executive of The Wildlife Trust, said “there is no place for toxic bee-killing pesticides in British agriculture”.

He added that the government’s decision “should not be weakened by allowing emergency use of neonicotinoids next year”.

Gina Hegarty, head of policy at the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), said the decision was “long overdue”.

The current application for emergency use authorization is for Cruzer SB, a neonicotinoid used as a seed treatment.

While the application process will still proceed under the law as it stands, the government said it would review the guidance to ensure That any decision by the Secretary of State should take “full account” of the risks to pollinators.

Studies show that neonicotinoids can be highly toxic to pollinators and, even at doses that are not directly lethal to bees, can cause cognitive problems that affect bee foraging behavior. Affect the abilities and productivity of the hive.

Banning emergency permits was a key election pledge of Labor and the government said on Saturday it would consult on the plan and identify possible changes to the legislation.

A complete ban in the future will cover neonicotinoid products including clathanidin, imidacloprid or thiamethoxam.

Environment Minister Emma Hardy said curbing their use was “an important step in supporting the long-term health of our environment and waterways and our farming sector”.

In a joint statement, Michael Sully, chairman of the NFU’s sugar board, and Dan Green, director of agriculture at British Sugar – which supplies 60% of the UK’s sugar – said the virus posed an “ongoing threat” to yellows.

But he said the pesticide would only be used on seeds if a certain risk threshold – set by the government – was met and any use would be strictly managed.

He added that the industry is dedicated to finding “sustainable solutions” to combat crop disease.

“We have seen progress in several areas, including gene editing, conventional breeding techniques and several new integrated pest management trials that are showing promise,” he said.

British Sugar has previously said it hopes to have virus yellows-resistant crops commercially available by 2026.