The European Parliament has today backed a Green proposal for a special committee to investigate the authorisation procedure for glyphosate, Europe’s most widely used and controversial herbicide.
Molly Scott Cato MEP, who sits on the European parliament’s agriculture committee, said: “This is a victory for Greens in Europe who have been pushing for a special committee to investigate the decision-making process for the proposed renewal of glyphosate’s licence in Europe.
“Greens have serious concerns about whether the rules have been respected during the decision-making process for glyphosate and why scientific studies demonstrating that glyphosate is dangerous have been ignored.
“This committee will have a vital role in establishing how we can make the decision-making and evaluation processes transparent and objective. Secret science is not science: its time to shine a spotlight on who is pulling the strings when it comes to authorising these potentially toxic and environmentally damaging products.”
“Ultimately the victors of today’s announcement are the public as it could improve health and the many species we share our precious environment with. Almost one and a half million people across Europe have signed a petition calling for a Europe-wide ban on glyphosate. They need to know that their voices also helped secure this investigation.”
Molly Scott Cato has long campaigned for a ban on glyphosate and has challenged Michael Gove to commit to banning the chemical in the UK post-Brexit. She added:
“So far Michael Gove’s ‘Green Brexit’ has not involved any suggestion of phasing out glyphosate. But there is nothing green about the use of a chemical associated with a wide range of adverse health effects in humans, farm animals and wildlife, and that has a detrimental impact on soil health and biodiversity. A transition towards non-chemical methods of dealing with weeds and pests is totally achievable and will benefit public health and the environment.”
