PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network Europe) has reacted with horror to the European Commission’s proposal to renew the authorisation of glyphosate in the EU for a further ten years (see EUROPE 13254/1).
“The Regulators are moving at full speed without listening to citizens’ concerns and independent science”, said Angeliki Lysimachou, a scientist at the NGO.
Fearing a health and environmental disaster, PAN Europe criticises the Commission for only providing, by way of safeguards, recommendations and a ban on pre-harvest desiccation (spraying to dry crops) - a dangerous use already restricted in several EU countries “which should have been banned long ago for all herbicides”.
The NGO points out that in an IPSOS poll carried out in August in six countries (Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Poland and Romania), citizens voiced their opposition to the renewal of glyphosate. Only 14% are in favour of prolonged use. 62% of respondents said that the use of glyphosate should be banned in Europe. Of these six countries, France has the highest percentage (70.5%).
PAN Europe reiterates that the opinion of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) classifying glyphosate as ‘not carcinogenic’, on which EFSA based its favourable opinion (see EUROPE 13217/7), dismissed important findings on carcinogenicity and overlooked evidence that glyphosate induces oxidative stress, a recognised mechanism that can lead to cancer. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)