Glyphosate: ENVI votes for re-authorization
The European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) has just voted against an objection to the re-authorization of glyphosate.
Jutta Paulus, Green environmental politician and chemicals expert in the European Parliament comments:
“The Environment Committee did not live up to its name today. Instead of protecting biodiversity against the nature killer glyphosate, Bayer’s corporate interests were put before the health of millions of Europeans and nature. The continuing waves of lawsuits against glyphosate and the existing data gaps should be an absolute warning signal for the MEPs who voted against the objection. In doing so, they have not only voted for glyphosate, but also against the protection of consumers and the declared will of the population.
Olaf Scholz’s silence on glyphosate re-approval is deafening! The Chancellor must finally enforce the coalition agreement against the fickleness of the FDP. The SPD has also signed the coalition agreement and must send a clear commitment to the promised glyphosate ban. I expect a clear no from the federal government to the glyphosate extension.”
Background:
The objection submitted by the Socialists, Greens/EFA and Left in the form of a non-binding resolution calls on the European Commission not to re-authorize glyphosate and to respect the objection of the Parliament of 2017, which was adopted by a majority. According to the 2017 objection, the phase-out of glyphosate should take place by 2022.
EU member states will vote on the re-authorization of glyphosate on Nov. 16. If there is no majority among the member states for or against the Commission’s proposal, the Commission can also decide to reauthorize glyphosate without the consent of the member states. The current license of the broad-spectrum herbicide expires on December 15, 2023.
The broad-spectrum herbicide glyphosate kills all green plants and many microorganisms, cannot be washed off and is not broken down by heating or freezing. Residues persist in food and feed for about a year. It has been shown to be harmful to the environment and is a probable carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization. The ongoing re-approval process has been marked by massive lobbying from pesticide manufacturers and glaring data gaps in the review process. In the USA, victims of glyphosate successfully sued the manufacturer Bayer Monsanto.