Pressure group glyphosate letter calls for ban

Thirteen pressure groups have written to MEPs to state their concerns about glyphosate re-registration. Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK) and 12 other UK based organisations are asking MEPs to support their objection to re-registration "due to serious health and environmental concerns about glyphosate that have been raised by the scientific community".  Last year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified glyphosate as a "probable human carcinogen". Both its cancer causing and hormone disrupting properties would disqualify glyphosate from EU market approval under EU pesticides law.  The European Commission’s initial proposal is for the maximum period possible (15 years), bans only one of the nearly 500 possible co-formulants, polyethoxylated (POE)-tallowamine, already no longer used in Germany, one of Europe’s largest pesticides markets, allows a 66 per cent increase in residues on food. allows glyphosate producers to prove the absence of hormone disruption after obtaining approval,  The letter added: "It is our strong view that the EU should not take any final decision before the potential health and environmental impacts of glyphosate have been fully established, including its potential to cause cancer and affect the endocrine system. In addition, the EU should immediately ban all uses of glyphosate that result in the greatest public and worker exposure, either directly or through residues in food. "Therefore we call on you to vote in favor of the objection to the Commission’s ill-considered proposal for glyphosate renewal and stand for the protection of human health, environment, and safer farming for all agricultural communities." #Groups involved PAN UK