A European Union court ruling reinforcing a ban on neonicotinoids — a type of pesticide considered harmful to bees — threatens to worsen Europe’s sugar deficit.

The EU’s top court on [January 19] ruled that derogations — approved by some of the bloc’s member states — allowing the use of neonicotinoids were not in compliance with a 2018 ban on the controversial insecticides.

The ruling comes two weeks after France issued a draft decree that would allow farmers to plant sugar beet seeds treated with neonicotinoids this year. Without the application of such insecticides, the crop is threatened by beet yellows virus, according to Nicolas Rialland, director general at France farmers group CGB.

The court decision “puts an entire sector in danger,” Rialland said.

The potential threat to output comes as Europe imports more sugar and food manufacturers face rising costs to secure supplies after a heatwave hurt last year’s harvest. Plantings fell 20% in the past five years after historically low prices prompted farmers to switch to more lucrative crops like grains.

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