The “Ban glyphosate” European Citizens Initiative (ECI) calling on the European Commission “to propose to Member States a ban on glyphosate, to reform the pesticide approval procedure, and to set EU-wide mandatory reduction targets for pesticide use” will be registered by the Commission on 25 January.
That was the decision taken by the College of Commissioners on Tuesday 10 January. The decision to register the ECI concerns only the legal admissibility of the proposal and does not relate to the substance. The ECI will be registered because the action falls within the powers of the Commission and is not manifestly abusive, frivolous or vexatious and or manifestly contrary to the values of the EU.
Registration is only the start of a year-long process which in no way prejudges the final outcome. Over the course of 12 months, more than one million signatures from at least seven EU member states will have to be gathered for the ECI to proceed. If the organisers are successful in gathering the requisite number of signatures, the Commission will have to decide within three months whether or not to follow the request.
Glyphosate is a total herbicide from Monsanto which has been recognised by the WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) as being probably carcinogenic, though EFSA took the view that is was probably not, provoking great controversy last year. Since it proved impossible to find a qualified majority either to approve or reject the proposal for the renewal of the glyphosate licence in the EU, the Commission ultimately decided to extend authorisation until the end of 2017 at the latest. Before then, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will deliver its scientific opinion on the toxicity of the pesticide (see EUROPE 11583).
Glyphosate is also known as a potential endocrine disruptor. In the event of the “Ban glyphosate” ECI’s gathering the one million signatures required by 25 January 2018, it is probable that, in the meantime, the awaited decision on criteria for identifying endocrine disruptors will have been taken. For the moment, no vote has been held within the appropriate standing committee; the Commission, aware that no qualified majority would be found among the member states’ experts, having declined at the end of the year to put the matter to the vote (see EUROPE 11695). ECHA and EFSA will have published the guidance on identifying endocrine disruptors on which they are working together. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)