Brussels, 13/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission could put a proposal to member state experts that the authorisation of glyphosate be renewed for a period of nine years without any restrictions on its use. Glyphosate is a herbicide which has, for months, been an issue of controversy in the EU, after the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued conflicting opinions.
Worried that a qualified majority of member states could agree to the proposal that will be put to them at the next meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, on 18-19 May, the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament issued a wake-up call to the member states on Thursday 12 May.
Nine years, while less than the fifteen initially suggested by the Commission, is two years more than Parliament is prepared to accept on condition that significant restrictions are placed on the use of glyphosate (see EUROPE 11531 and 11540). To judge from the Commission's draft regulation, which has been widely leaked, the proposal for the re-authorisation, applicable from 1 July to 30 June 2025, will not contain any of the restrictions demanded by Parliament. Only the co-formulant POE Tallowamine will be banned.
The text also states that companies seeking authorisation for the marketing of glyphosate should, by 1 October 2016, confirm to the Commission, the member states and EFSA that there are no endocrine disrupting characteristics.
“We can only condemn this draft legislation backing the renewal of authorisation of a substance that, in the view of the WHO, is probably carcinogenic. Despite Parliament's demand, nothing is being proposed to ban the use of glyphosate by ordinary citizens or close to public parks”, stated Michèle Rivasi (Greens. France), deputy leader of the Greens/EFA Group. She is astonished, indeed, that the Commission is calling on the member states to give the green light to glyphosate without knowing whether or not it is an endocrine disruptor.
“It is scandalous that the Commission is trying to push through a proposal for the authorisation of a toxic pesticide, ignoring all the warnings on the effects on humans and the environment. It would be irresponsible of the member states to agree to it”, railed Martin Haüsling (Greens/EFA, Germany) whose country is one that looks ready to approve the text. Given that alternatives exist, “a total ban on glyphosate would be the solution”, he argued.
The text in question takes the form of a proposal for a Commission regulation regarding the renewal of the authorisation of the active substance glyphosate pursuant to Regulation 1107/2009 on the placing of plant protection products on the market and amending the annex to Implementing Regulation 540/2011. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)