The European Parliament believes that the controversial herbicide and pesticide, glyphosate, knowncommercially as ‘Roundup’, must be fully banned within five years. Member States will discuss the matter on Wednesday.
The demand for a total ban was promoted in a resolution that received a plenary session in the European Parliament on Tuesday.
The parliamentarians believe that use of glyphosate should be totally eradicated in the EU by the 15th of December, 2022, and that its use should be tightened already by next year.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in the widely used herbicide, ‘Roundup’, produced by the often controversial and highly litigative, North American agricultural giant, Monsanto.
Speculation over whether the preparation may be carcinogenic has been rife for many years. This week, German researchers released findings that have shown a decline in the number of flying insects on German nature reserves in mid-summer to be up to 82%.
The German scientists put a large measure of the blame for the insect populations’decline on pesticides. The EU Commission, in its view, believes that the substance is safe, and has proposed giving it a green light for further use when the day’s permit expires on December the 15th of this year.
But EU member states ultimately decide the case. They will discuss the question on Wednesday, but it’s still uncertain whether a decision will be taken at this meeting.
The EU Commission’s proposal was originally to renew the permit for ten years, but it will now propose a renewal of five to seven years instead.
‘We have instructed our representative to try and find a solution that can be supported by as many member states as possible,’ said EU commission spokeswoman, Margaritis Schinas.
The case has also been involved in a major demand petition, and on Monday, the EU Commission received more than one million signatures calling for a ban on Roundup. Whether their mysterious, perplexing and indescribably odd defence of
Roundup and glyphosate will continue after Wednesday’s meeting will become clear later in the week. Considering that it potentially affects all life and ecosystems on planet earth, conservationists and environmental groups will be following the member states, and EU Commissions’ decisions very closely.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
