Brussels, 29/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - The United Kingdom will leave the EU at a date yet to be determined, glyphosate will continue in use for at least 18 more months, until the end of 2017: on this latter point, there is no longer any doubt.
The European Commission decision, formally adopted on Wednesday 29 June at the same time as the European summit on the “Brexit” was taking place, was destined to pass unnoticed (see EUROPE 11582).
The decision was announced in a press release at a time when the attention of the press was focused on the future of the 27-member EU. Nonetheless, it brought sharp reactions from all those wanting to ban this active substance judged by the WHO as probably carcinogenic for humans, though EFSA has ruled that it is probably not. Representatives of the plant health industry criticised a decision that, they said, was more political than scientific. The member states, too, came in for criticism after they “failed to take responsibility for a decision”, forcing the Commission to make the decision in their stead. That, indeed, is what the Commission again highlighted in a short press release, pointing out the repeated failure of the member states to come to a qualified majority decision to accept or reject the Commission proposal, no longer for renewal of the licence for a period of 15 years but for a temporary extension of the existing licence which expires on Thursday 30 June. The comitology procedure itself can lead to situations of deadlock experienced many times by the EU in the authorisation of GMOs.
The Commission points out, too, that this licence extension will give time to await the opinion of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) on the toxicity of the pesticide glyphosate. It says that it will do all in its power to have the decision on the ban on coformulant POE-tallowamine in glyphosate-based products adopted by the member states “as soon as possible”, along with non-binding recommendations that it prepared to encourage the duty of vigilance of member states in the use of glyphosate.
“European institutions deaf, multinationals blind and national governments dumb: in the wake of 'Brexit', deeper re-assessment would have been appreciated!” exclaimed MEP Marc Tarabella (S&D, Belgium), responsible within his group for European consumer protection and agriculture. “The glyphosate issue highlights serious deficiencies in Europe. At 10.00 on Tuesday, the president of the European Commission says, during the 'Brexit' debate, that more attention must be paid to the needs of citizens. Eight hours later, in early evening, a hurried decision is announced that flies in the face of the morning's comments”, he said. “The European Commission and governments, too, that support this decision are guilty of failing to assist citizens in danger”, he railed, certain that “the only wise decision would have been to apply the precautionary principle, that is to say, not allowing a product which we cannot be certain is not harmful to citizens”.
Bert Staes (Greens/EFA, Belgium), his group's spokesperson on environmental and food safety issues, said that the decision by the Commission to extend the approval of glyphosate in spite of the failure to find a qualified majority among the member states “shows a disdain for the opposition by the public and EU governments to this controversial toxic herbicide”. In his view, this, the first EU decision after the UK referendum, “shows the Commission is failing to learn the clear lesson that the EU needs to finally start listening to its citizens again”. He urges EU governments and regions to exercise their rights to impose significant restrictions on its use, so we can begin the process of phasing-out glyphosate, strongly suspected of being an endocrine disruptor responsible for causing cancer and hormonal problems that can affect development.
“Glyphosate has been given a stay of execution in Europe, but it remains the world's most over-used herbicide. Farmers have been told that this chemical is safe - yet there is mounting evidence of the harmful impacts on our health and environment”, points out Clare Oxborrow, of the NGO Friends of the Earth, calling on the UK government, which backs a 15-year licence renewal, to recognise that “glyphosate's days are numbered”.
The Glyphosate Task Force (GTF), which brings together representatives of the pesticides industry, including Monsanto, regrets the “politicisation of EU renewal process”. It notes that the “extensive scientific evaluation” carried out by EFSA and the German BfR should have led to a 15-year renewal of the glyphosate licence. It says, too, that sudden expiry of the approval would have entailed serious consequences for European farmers who “rely on glyphosate as a reliable and effective tool for weed management and the protection of crop yields”. GTF Chairman Richard Garnett said that “the antagonism which has emerged from certain member states regarding glyphosate renewal is highly regrettable and a sad sign of how politically charged these processes have become”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)