Copa and Cogeca regret EU Appeal Committee did not give opinion to re-authorise glyphosate

Copa and Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen stressed: “I am very disappointed at the lack of progress on this important dossier. It’s unacceptable that the EU is not following the scientific advice of its own European Food Safety Authoritys’s EFSA’s which gave a positive assessment of this product. The EU Institutions and Member States have the responsibility to build consumer trust in our high food safety standards by supporting the role of EFSA. We urge the European Commission to approve it, as the expiry date for the active substance is 30th June”.
“There are also many environmental benefits to be had from using this product. Farmers have been using for example no till – a sustainable agricultural practice – and it’s with the use of glyphosate that they can do this in a cost effective manner to ensure soils are in good condition. It is an important tool together with catch crops to prevent soil erosion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Without glyphosate, farmers’ competitiveness would be put at risk and EU food production threatened as no alternatives exist”, Pesonen said.