MEPs call on the EU Commission to phase out glyphosate by 2020

Glyphosate should be banned by 2020 from the fields.

On 16 October a cross-party group of MEPs demanded a phase-out of glyphosate by December 2020. A ban on non-professional use of the herbicide and use in public parks or playgrounds they require after 15 December 2017, when the current authorisation expires. The MEPs want the Commission to withdraw its proposal for a 10-year renewal. The call comes after the hearing on the “Monsanto papers” at the EU Parliament.

As the British specialised organisation GM Watch writes the MEPs also want a ban on agricultural application after 15 December 2017 in cases where integrated plant protection methods are sufficient. They are asking for Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) funds to be made available to farmers to support the transition to more sustainable methods of weed control.

In addition, the MEPs asked for a complete overhaul of the EU's risk assessment of pesticides. They want the refit reform of EU regulations to be used to ensure that the scientific evaluation of pesticides for regulatory approval is based only on published, peer-reviewed and independent studies commissioned by competent public authorities, says the GM Watch article.

The MEPs' demands appeared in a draft resolution that will be debated and voted on 19 October in the ENVI Committee. 39 of 58 ENVI members voted to phase out Glyphosate by 2020. These developments come ahead of the planned vote on the renewal of the authorisation for glyphosate in the Standing Committee (Plants, Animals, Food and Feed) on 23 October.

More informations are available on GMWatch.org