Ahead of a European Union meeting of environment ministers this week, leaders in France say the country will vote against the continued use of the herbicide glyphosate. The EU license for glyphosate expires at the end of June, and, if not extended, manufacturers will have six months to phase out products containing glyphosate. The European Commission, after failing to win support for a proposal to renew the license for up to 15 years, had offered a 12 to 18 month extension pending further scientific study.
However, with countries such as France and Germany abstaining from an earlier vote, the compromise lacked enough support to be adopted. The issue was transferred to an appeal committee consisting of representatives of the 28 EU nations. The committee will meet Friday. If no decision is reached by the qualified majority there, then the European Commission could choose to act on its own.
Source: NAFB News Service