Brussels, 25/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - To enhance the chances of securing a broad consensus among the member states on renewing the authorisation of glyphosate, a highly controversial pesticide which the WHO says is probably carcinogenic, the European Commission is reworking its proposal and could reduce the weedkiller's period of renewal to 10 years rather than the 15 initially planned.
MEP Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), who sits on both the Parliament's environment and agriculture committees revealed this on Monday 25 April, accusing the Commission and Germany of seeking to renew authorisation by means of loose legislative changes. The German government has informed the Commission that, with minor amendments to the initial proposal, it could support renewal of authorisation.
Rather than stating clearly that what is required are binding European arrangements to establish how to ensure that the biodiversity of plant species is maintained when this toxic pesticide is used, the German government intends to pass this responsibility on to the Länder, he rails in a press release, referring to a letter sent by Berlin to the Commission. The federal government does not lay down any firm conditions for the use of glyphosate before harvesting crops and has not come out in favour of a ban on its use in parks, play areas and gardens.
The European Commission now wants to restrict re-authorisation to 10 year, says Häusling. “If the Commission and the federal government still want to improve the text, they would be best advised to follow the resolution passed by Parliament”, he goes on, accusing both the Commission and Germany of defending glyphosate “tooth and nail”.
Renewal of the licence for ten years is three years more than the European Parliament would be prepared to countenance: it would accept this by way of a compromise and solely if glyphosate was for use by professionals. This was made clear in its vote of objection on 13 April by which it called on the Commission to reconsider its proposal (see EUROPE 11531).
That vote, however, is not binding, a fact of which the Commission is well aware. When asked to confirm the new formulation of the Commission proposal which is likely to be put to the vote among member state experts on 18 and 19 May (see EUROPE 11507), the spokesperson for Health and Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis replied: “The Commission will not take decision without a very broad support of member states. The length of authorisation is one of the issues under discussion between the services of the Commission and member states to try and reach that broad support” (see EUROPE 11507).
At the last Environment Council, on 4 March, the commissioner told the press that he would be prepared to reduce the period of authorisation to 10 years. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)