A Roundup Roundup – that Glyphosate approvals process explained

What was supposed to be a fairly routine renewal of the herbicide glyphosate has turned into a quicksand quagmire. The European Commission has twice now failed to approve the controversial substance, as enough member states could not be mustered to support it. And the approval deadline of 30th June is fast approaching. Oliver Moore gives us an update.

Bee ladies WHES2016 (c) Oliver Moore
Bee ladies WHES2016 (c) Oliver Moore

Last Wednesday and Thursday, a qualified majority for glyphosate approval was needed in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed. This did not happen. The approval deadline is June 30. After this date –  unless some sort of compromise is reached in the meantime –  products containing glyphosate will have to be withdrawn from the EU market, following a six month grace period.

Along with intense public pressure, a major stumbling block to glyphosate approval is Germany. There, the main government parties are now split on approval, with the CPU in favour of approval and the SPD  – initially also in favour with restrictions – now against. This is especially noteworthy because Germany held the original task of leading the safety assessment of glyphosate  for the European Food Safety Authority. “Germany evaluates glyphosate and a sample formulation of a plant protection product containing glyphosate. In this framework Germany acts as Rapporteur Member State (RMS) writing a draft re-assessment report” BfR reported.

Because of its responsibility in the process, some undecided member states  – such as Italy, Slovakia, Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands – are looking to Germany for a lead. And Germany is not giving one.

Read: All ARC2020 articles on pesticides

What’s next?

Though the Commission does not like the idea, one route for glyphosate approval is via appeals committee. As the Guardian reported on the 20th:

“Under bloc rules, the commission could now go to an appeals committee but this would have the same balance of countries as the standing committee that has now twice failed to take a decision.

It could also go over the heads of the EU states and independently reauthorise glyphosate as a draft measure. The EU president Jean-Claude Juncker has said that he opposes doing this and officials doubt it will happen, although the procedure has been used to approve GM crops for import. A short-term license might also be possible.”

After the appeals committee, the whole dossier is given to the College of Commissioners. This typically takes up to six weeks  – crucially in time for June 30th. Politico suggests that, though “confusion reigns” a next step could be that “the Commission could go for the Parliament’s proposal and push a 7-year extension. Or it could extend glyphosate’s authorization until the European Chemicals Agency issues an opinion (expected 2017).”

While 19 member states are in favour, France is now very much set against; Italy is possibly against and others such as Sweden, Austria, Luxembourg and Slovakia may abstain.

Politico’s latest briefing (paywalled) suggests two options for member states.

“The first option is renewal for one to two years, the expected time for a safety assessment now in progress at the European Chemicals Agency.

The second option, if Germany does not change its current position abstaining, could be for the Commission to simply do nothing and let the June 30 deadline for reauthorization come and go. Officials are aware of potential lawsuits from Monsanto in this case. In this scenario, after a six-month grace period, all products containing glyphosate would have to be pulled from the EU market. The Commission has given member countries until Tuesday evening, or “even Wednesday noon if needed” to decide, according to one of the sources.”

Expect more twists and turns  – this week and towards June 30th  – as this saga unfolds.

Timeline up to last week’s failed vote

20th May Leading Monsanto, Dow and Syngenta products could be withdrawn from shops by July after committee fails to agree on whether glyphosate poses a health risk to humans

20th May Via Euractiv “The president of the republic stated very clearly at the latest environmental conference that glyphosate would not be authorised in France,” said Marisol Touraine, the French minister for health. “Quite apart from the debates on whether or not glyphosate is a carcinogen, we believe, and our studies show, that it is an endocrine disruptor,” she added.

19th May An EU vote scheduled for today in Brussels on the re-approval of a controversial weedkiller known as glyphosate has reportedly been postponed. 

19th May Chairman of UN’s joint meeting on pesticide residues co-runs scientific institute which received donation from Monsanto, which uses glyphosate.

18th May The EU on Wednesday (18 May) failed to agree on the re-approval of weedkiller glyphosate in Europe amid fresh fears the product could cause cancer.

17th May Via The Intercept “Independent scientists have been reporting since at least 1991 that pesticides containing glyphosate along with other ingredients were more dangerous than glyphosate on its own. More recently, two papers — one published in 2002, the other in 2004 — showed that Roundup and other glyphosate-containing weed formulations were more likely to cause cell-cycle dysregulation, a hallmark of cancer, than glyphosate alone. In 2005, researchers showed that Roundup was more harmful to rats’ livers than its “active ingredient” by itself. And a 2009 study showed that four formulations of Roundup were more toxic to human umbilical, embryonic, and placental cells than glyphosate by itself….

In February, the team published its findings, which showed that each of the five co-formulants affected the function of both the mitochondria in human placental cells and aromatase, an enzyme that affects sexual development. Not only did these chemicals, which aren’t named on herbicide labels, affect biological functions, they did so at levels far below the concentrations used in commercially available products. In fact, POEA — officially an “inert” ingredient — was between 1,200 and 2,000 times more toxic to cells than glyphosate, officially the “active” ingredient.”

9th May The lobby firm that works both sides of the room Genius’ work for glyphosate producers, EU and German authorities 

5th May Monsanto’s Roundup toxic to soil fungus at ultra-low doses

Earlier

April European Parliament: “European Commission should renew its marketing approval for just 7 years, instead of 15, and for professional uses only

March Overwhelming majority of Germans contaminated by glyphosate

 

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About Oliver Moore 210 Articles

Dr. Oliver Moore is the communications director and editor-in-chief with ARC2020. He has a PhD in the sociology of farming and food, where he specialised in organics and direct sales. He is published in the International Journal of Consumer Studies, International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development. A weekly columnist and contributor with Irish Examiner, he is a regular on Countrywide (Irish farm radio show on the national broadcaster RTE 1) and engages in other communications work around agri-food and rural issues, such as with the soil, permaculture, climate change adaptation and citizen science initiative Grow Observatory . He lectures part time in the Centre for Co-operative Studies UCC.

A propos d'Oliver Moore
Oliver voyage beaucoup moins qu’auparavant, pour ce qui concerne son activité professionnelle. Il peut néanmoins admirer par la fenêtre de son bureau les mésanges charbonnières et les corbeaux perchés au sommet du saule dans le jardin de sa maison au cœur de l’écovillage de Cloughjordan, en Irlande. L’écovillage est un site de 67 acres dans le nord du Tipperary. Il comprend d’espaces boisés, des paysages comestibles, des lieux de vie, d’habitation et de travail, ainsi qu’une ferme appartenant à la communauté. Les jours où il travaille dans le bureau du centre d’entreprise communautaire, il profite d’une vue sur les chevaux, les panneaux solaires, les toilettes sèches et les jardins familiaux. 

Ce bureau au sein de l’écovillage constitue en effet un tiers-lieu de travail accueillant également des collaborateurs des associations Cultivate et Ecolise, ainsi qu’un laboratoire de fabrication (« fab lab »). 

Oliver est membre du conseil d’administration de la ferme communautaire (pour la seconde fois !) et donne également des cours sur le Master en coopératives, agroalimentaire et développement durable à l’University College Cork. Il a une formation en sociologie rurale : son doctorat et les articles qu’il publie dans des journaux scientifiques portent sur ce domaine au sens large.

Il consacre la majorité de son temps de travail à l’ARC 2020. Il collabore avec ARC depuis 2013, date à laquelle l’Irlande a assuré la présidence de l’UE pendant six mois. C’est là qu’il a pu constater l’importance de la politique agroalimentaire et rurale grâce à sa chronique hebdomadaire sur le site d’ARC. Après six mois, il est nommé rédacteur en chef et responsable de la communication, poste qu’il occupe toujours aujourd’hui. Oliver supervise le contenu du site web et des médias sociaux, aide à définir l’orientation de l’organisation et parfois même rédige un article pour le site web. 

À l’époque où on voyageait davantage, il a eu la chance de passer du temps sous les tropiques, où il a aidé des ONG irlandaises de commerce équitable – au Ghana, au Kenya, au Mali, en Inde et au Salvador – à raconter leur histoire.

Il se peut que ces jours-là reviennent. Pour son compte Oliver continuera de préférer naviguer en Europe par bateau, puis en train. Après tout, la France n’est qu’à une nuit de navigation. En attendant, il y a toujours de nombreuses possibilités de bénévolat dans la communauté dans les campagnes du centre de l’Irlande.