The European Parliament’s Environment Committee (ENVI) has voted against an objection to the re-authorisation of glyphosate.

Jutta PAULUS in the EP in Brussels

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 November 16th. 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.

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