Member states
have still not reached agreement on glyphosate after a vote in Brussels today.
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UK farming unions are deeply concerned at the prospect of
losing glyphosate
The European Commission has just over three weeks
to find a solution on the future of glyphosate in the EU after member states
again failed to reach agreement on a compromise proposal.
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Experts representing member states met in Brussels on Monday to vote on a revised proposal to extend the marketing authorisation of the key herbicide for a further 18 months.
But, without the support of eight member states, including France and Germany, sufficient agreement for a qualified majority supporting the proposal was not reached. Seven member states, including France, Germany and Italy, abstained, with only Malta voting against.
These leaves the Commission with limited options before glyphosate’s licence requires on July 1.
According to Reuters, without a qualified majority,
the Commission has the option of submitting its proposal to an appeal committee
of political representatives of the 28 member states within one month.
If, again, there is no decision, the European
Commission may adopt its own proposal. This would be a last resort for the
Commission, which has previously stated its reluctance to push the proposal
through without the necessary support of member states.
A Commission spokesman said EU commissioners would
discuss the issue when they met on Tuesday.
SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENT
The European Commission proposed an 18-month
extension in order to give the European Union’s Agency for Chemical Products
(ECHA) time to report on its scientific assessment on the carcinogenicity of
the glyphosate before the issue is addressed again at EU level.
The Commission had already had proposals to extend glyphosate’s EU marketing authorisation blocked twice in recent months.
Glyphosate’s current authorisation expires on July
1.
Should there be no extension by then, member states
would have to withdraw the authorisations for plant protection products
containing glyphosate from their market.
Speaking ahead of Monday’s meeting, EU Health and
Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis urged member states who had not
taken a position in recent months, including Germany, to back the latest
compromise and those, led by France, who want to ban the herbicide not to ’hide
behind the Commission’.
The 18-month extension compares with previous
proposed extensions of 15 years and nine years. The European Parliament voted infavour of a seven-year extension in April.
Mr Andriukaitis said: "I believe it is
important to clarify that once an active substance is approved – or renewed at
EU level – it is then up to Member States to authorise the final products (the
herbicides and pesticides themselves) put on their respective markets.
"The EU approval of an active substance only means that the Member States can authorise plant protection products on their territory, but they are not obliged to do that.
"The Member States who wish not to use
glyphosate based products have the possibility to restrict their use. They do
not need to hide behind the Commission’s decision."
RESTRICTIONS ON USE
The Commission is also preparing a second decision, reviewing the conditions of use of glyphosate in the form of three clear recommendations:
- Ban a co-formulant called POE-tallowamine from glyphosate based products
- Minimise the use in public parks, public playgrounds and gardens
- Minimise the pre-harvest use of glyphosate.
The Commissioner reiterated his view that ’high
level of protection of human health and the environment, as provided for by the
EU legislation, is paramount’.
He said: "At the same time, I remain deeply
convinced that our decisions should remain based on science, not on political
convenience."
He said the proposals and decisions on glyphosate
were based on the guided assessment done by the European Food SafetyAuthority and, before it, the German Federal institute for
Risk Assessment (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung).
"They both concluded that Glyphosate is
unlikely to be carcinogenic," he said.
REACTION
Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska
Achterberg said the outcome of Monday’s meeting showed governments ’remain
sceptical about the continued use of the controversial weedkiller’.
She said: “Extending the glyphosate licence would
be like smelling gas and refusing to evacuate to check for a leak.
"As long as there is no meaningful EU-wide
restriction on glyphosate use, we will continue to live in a world that is
awash in a weedkiller which is a likely cause of cancer.”
“It’s scandalous, but not unusual for the Commission to keep dangerous pesticides on the market after their licences expire.
“It’s scandalous, but not unusual for the Commission to keep dangerous pesticides on the market after their licences expire.
"It has even extended the licence for
substances that Europe’s own chemicals agency has identified as highly damaging
to our health.
"What’s new this time is that governments paid
attention and didn’t just sign off on the Commission’s proposal."
"We fear that without such a course of action there would be grave consequences for European agriculture that will resonate for years."
Article provided by Alistair Driver, Political Editor Farmers Guardian. To view more stories like this why not subscribe to FGinsight.com
UK FARMING UNIONS URGE POLICYMAKERS TO BACK GLYPHOSATE
Presidents of four UK farming unions have sent a letter to European policymakers and
elected officials highlighting the importance of the reauthorisation of
glyphosate ahead of the vote.
The NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and UFU warned banning glyphosate would
have 'grave consequences for European agriculture'.
The UK farming unions said there is no well-reasoned argument holding
back a full re-authorisation of glyphosate in line with the regulatory process.
The letter stated that the glyphosate decision has been subject to
‘political bargaining’
Elected officials and policymakers were urged by unions to ‘respect the
process’ for the re-registration of plant protection products.
The letters stated: "The ongoing situation has already severely
damaged the credibility of the European Food Safety Authority and as a
consequence has eroded confidence and certainty in the regulatory system.
"It is deeply worrying that a decision that has very real
consequences on millions of peoples’ everyday lives is the subject of political
bargaining.
It adds: "European farmers need glyphosate to provide a safe,
secure and affordable food supply while increasingly responding to consumer
demand for greater environmental sensitivity.
ESSENTIAL TOOL
"Glyphosate is subject to regulation, as with all other pesticides,
so that it is not found in dangerous quantities in the food chain.
"It is also an essential tool used in farming practices that
actually improve soil structure and require less work with machinery; thus
helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
"Furthermore, application pre-harvest not only ensures the quality
of the crop, but also means that less drying after harvest is required."
It warned: "The removal of such a tool carries the very real risk
of yet another pressure on our incomes at a time when economic returns are
already severely squeezed."
The letter concluded: "In our view there is no well-reasoned
argument holding back a full reauthorisation of glyphosate in line with the regulatory
process.
"We fear that without such a course of action there would be grave consequences for European agriculture that will resonate for years."
Article provided by Alistair Driver, Political Editor Farmers Guardian. To view more stories like this why not subscribe to FGinsight.com
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