The European Commision ‘is in the process’ of banning imports which exceed EU pesticide limits, deputy director general for health and food safety Claire Bury has said.

“We are quite clear that if pesticides are prohibited within the EU, then we should no longer set maximum residue limits for imports from outside the EU. We should also make that prohibition, apply to products that are imported,” Bury told a Food & Farming: What future for Europe? webinar on Wednesday.

“If we’re talking about neonicotinoids where it’s very clear [there is a] threat to pollinators, something which is now recognized as a matter of global concern, then we think that we can justify this according to the to the WTO rules.”

Bury also confirmed that an impact assessment of the Farm to Fork Strategy as a whole would not be conducted.