The European Commission today proposed a temporary ‘technical extension’ of approval for the herbicide glyphosate [1].
The proposal comes after the Commission’s failure to secure a qualified majority of EU governments in favour of re-approving the controversial substance for 9 years, as previously proposed.
Commenting on the development, Keith Taylor, a member of the European Union’s environment and public health committee, said:
“This proposal for a ‘technical extension’ has to be seen as the Commission climbing down, after failing to wave through reapproval following heavy industry lobbying. The eleventh-hour reprieve for glyphosate is only temporary and should, hopefully, mark the beginning of the end for Monsanto’s controversial weedkiller.
Last month, the European Parliament voted to highlight its concerns about glyphosate and adopted a resolution opposing approval of glyphosate for most of its uses. The significant public and political opposition to glyphosate reapproval has been taken seriously by some key European governments. However, disappointingly, the UK government is still unwavering in its support of the toxic substance.
The EU will now have to finalise its assessment of the health risks of the ‘probably carcinogenic’ substance. In the interim, EU governments should now act at a national level, where countries can introduce their own bans or restrictions as France has already indicated it will do. I’m calling on the UK government to do the same.
With the EU referendum approaching, this latest announcement is an important reminder that another Europe is possible – one where public opposition trumps corporate interests.”
[1] With the current approval of glyphosate set to expire at the end of June and insufficient support from EU governments for re-approval, the European Commission today proposed a ‘technical extension’ of the current approval until after the European Chemicals Agency delivers its opinion on glyphosate (12-18 months); ECHA is expected to deliver its opinion by autumn 2017. This proposal will now have to be accepted by representatives of EU governments in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 6 June 2016. The ‘technical extension’ means the Commission has dropped the proposal for a longer term re-approval.
[2] The European Food Safety Authority yesterday belatedly responded to a freedom of information request from the Greens/EFA group, regarding access to the studies it used to determine its opinion on the carcinogenicity of glyphosate. They proposed to create a reading room for the studies but have asked for more time to determine which studies they will make available (until 22 June). EFSA listed the studies and stated that 100 are public and 82 are not.
- See more at: http://www.keithtaylormep.org.uk/2016/06/01/commission-back-down-on-glyphosate-shows-another-europe-is-possible/#sthash.fMctMTgU.dpuf