Decision reverts to EU Commission

In the European Union’s Appeal Committee, member states have again refused to re-authorize glyphosate.

France and Malta voted against, while Germany, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Luxembourg, Greece, and Bulgaria abstained.

The decision will now revert to the EU Commission.

The Appeal Committee vote was on the Commission’s proposal for an extension of current authorisation for 12–18 months, until the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) gives its opinion on the carcinogenic qualities of glyphosate and not later than 31 December 2017, European Commission spokesman Enrico Brivio said.

The Appeal Committee was activated after member states did not manage to reach a qualified majority in favour of the Commission’s proposal.

Commission not an “honest broker”, Greenpeace says

Greenpeace recently blamed the Commission for not being an “honest broker” in the glyphosate discussion, Euractiv.com reports.

Greenpeace says the Commission discussed with glyphosate producers how to handle a request for access to confidential industry-backed studies that allegedly clear glyphosate of a link to cancer, following criticism about the EU’s reliance on such studies.

Greenpeace said that Health Commissioner Andriukaitis subsequently misled MEPs about this exchange, as he denied having discussed with industry representatives preparing a public letter exchange and finding an arrangement with glyphosate producers.

Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg told EurActiv that Commissioner Andriukaitis said he wanted transparency, but then misled elected representatives about what he is doing behind closed doors.

“This raises serious questions about whether the Commission is an honest broker on glyphosate and whether it truly believes in open and transparent science,” Achterberg noted, adding that people deserve to see the evidence that the Commission is relying on to contradict the world’s most eminent cancer experts. “The studies must be made public,” she underlined.

More on this story here:
https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/commission-expected-to-decide-on-glyphosates-immediate-future/