The European Union implemented a near-total ban on three major neonicotinoids—clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam—for all outdoor crops in April 2018, following a partial ban in 2013. These restrictions, aimed at protecting bees, were further solidified by a 2023 European High Court ruling that limited emergency derogations.

Initial Restrictions (2013): The EU restricted the use of the three chemicals on crops attractive to bees, such as oilseed rape.