A court ruling last week about the use of pesticides by lily growers could have a far-reaching impact on the flower industry, the AD reported on Monday.
Judges in Leeuwarden last week found in favor of a campaign group that had gone to court to stop the province of Friesland from turning a blind eye to the use of certain pesticides by growers.
Campaign group Meten=Weten argued that pesticides used by a farmer close to the Wold & Leggelderveld Natura 2000 reserve had been found kilometers away from the lily fields, causing damage to plants and killing insects and birds.
Friesland provincial authority had argued the impact was minimal, basing its response on research by testing company Eurofins which had shown no significant knock-on effect. But the court ruled the permit requirement cannot be ignored based on a presumed lack of impact, and this has implications further afield, experts say.
Read more at Dutch News