Glyphosate - again no majority: EU Commission should withdraw authorization

On Friday last week the EU the appeal committee had to vote about glyphosate again: Even after long negotiations, there was no qualified majority. “EU Commission should withdraw authorization”, says the German MEP Martin Häusling (picture). The European Commission has failed for the fourth time: Not even the extension of glyphosate use up to 18 months wanted to agree the EU member states. The Commission must draw the only correct conclusion from the doubts of the Member States as to the safety of glyphosate and phase out the authorization 30 June, urges also the Environment Institute Munich  (Umweltinstitut München).

The EU governments have again not accepted the European Commission's proposal to extend the authorization of the pesticide glyphosate (so-called "technical extension"). Required was a qualified majority of EU governments, Germany abstained. The European Commission can now extend the authorization of glyphosate without the consent of the Member States or withdraw its proposal. The decision is scheduled for Wednesday (June 29th).

Martin Häusling, agricultural policy spokesperson for the Greens / EFA Group and a member of the environment committee of the European Parliament commented: "The majority of EU governments has made the right decision and respond to the public outcry. The European Commission and EU governments must have withdrawn glyphosate from the market long since because of the risk of causing cancer, and due to the harmful influence on biodiversity.

The European Commission must now make a U-turn and withdraw the authorization for glyphosate. If the European Commission decides that further approval by hook or crook push through, it damages the reputation of democratic decisions in the European Union. now is the time to ban toxic pesticides and the road to sustainable agriculture to go in the EU."