Bees are vital — because of their pollination in the fields — to any nation's food production and to Europe's agricultural industry worth €22 billion annually.

That's why Europe has voted to enforce the world's first continent-wide ban on common insecticides linked to serious harm in bees.

The landmark European commission vote on Monday led to a victory for millions of environment campaigners concerned about dramatic declines in bees and bolstered by experts at the European Food Safety Authority who advised the move.

(READ the story in the Guardian)