Jutta Paulus MEP: The European Commission “has lost its way” on glyphosate proposal

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EU member states were unable to reach a qualified majority for the Commission’s proposal to extend the authorisation of glyphosate in a vote by a panel of experts on Friday. The final decision is now expected in a few weeks in the appeal committee.

The broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate kills all green plants and many microorganisms, cannot be washed off and is not broken down by heating or freezing. Residues persist in food and feed for about a year. It has been shown to be harmful to the environment and is a probable carcinogen, according to the World Health Organisation. The ongoing re-approval process has been marked by massive lobbying from pesticide manufacturers and glaring data gaps in the review process. In the USA, victims of glyphosate successfully sued the manufacturer Bayer Monsanto.

“The European Commission has lost its way with its proposal and today failed to get a majority for its extension proposal. In view of the rapid loss of species, it is urgently necessary for the Commission to withdraw the proposal for a re-authorization of glyphosate altogether.”

“Germany’s abstention is due to the liberal FDP party, which is once again deliberately breaking the coalition agreement in Germany. In doing so, the FDP ignores the health of the people endangered by glyphosate and shows that it has not understood the consequences of species extinction at all. In the decisive vote in a few weeks, Germany must clearly reject the Commission’s proposal for a re-authorisation and keep the promise made in the coalition agreement.

A re-authorisation of glyphosate contradicts the European precautionary principle due to glaring data gaps and uncertainties. Glyphosate exemplifies everything that is going wrong in nature conservation and agricultural policy,” Jutta Paulus, green environmental politician and chemicals expert in the European Parliament.

Read also: The EU Commission is planning to extend glyphosate approval for another 10 years, warns Jutta Paulus MEP

Main image: Benoit BOURGEOIS Copyright: © European Union 2019 – Source : EP