EU Commission to extend use of glyphosate for 10 more years after member countries fail to agree
The European Commission will continue the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the European Union for 10 more years after the 27 member countries again failed to find a common position
BRUSSELS — The European Commission will continue the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the European Union for 10 more years after the 27 member countries again failed to find a common position for or against a prolongation.
Representatives of EU states were unable to reach a decision last month, and a new vote by an appeal committee was again unconclusive on Thursday. Because of the deadlock, the EU's executive arm said it will endorse its own proposal and renew the approval of glyphosate for 10 years, with new conditions attached.
“These restrictions include a prohibition of pre-harvest use as a desiccant and the need for certain measures to protect non-target organisms,” it said in a statement.
The chemical, which is widely used in the bloc to the great anger of environment groups, had been approved in the EU market until mid-December.
The Greens political group of the EU Parliament immediately urged the Commission to backpedal and ban the use of glyphosate.
«We should not gamble with our biodiversity and public health like this,” said Bas Eickhout, the vice chair of the Environment Committee.
Over the past decade, glyphosate, used in products like the weedkiller Roundup, has been at the heart of heated scientific debate about whether it causes cancer and its possible disruptive effect on the environment. The chemical was introduced by chemical giant Monsanto in 1974 as an effective way of killing weeds while leaving crops and other plants intact.
Bayer bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018
Read more on abcnews.go.com
