Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the EU risk assessment of the herbicide glyphosate, in the light of the so-called “Monsanto Papers”, with experts in a public hearing which took place on 11 October. Glyphosate is a widely used, but highly controversial plant protection product and the active substance in Monsanto’s weed killer Roundup. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) concluded that glyphosate is safe, while the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified it as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.  At the hearing, MEPs discussed with experts the scientific basis for the risk assessment of glyphosate and the alleged influence of industry representatives on this assessment in the US and the EU. The hearing took place against the background of the ongoing debate over the renewal of glyphosate’s license in the EU (expiring by the end of 2017). EuCheMS and MEP Pavel Poc organised a workshop on this topic earlier this year, its conclusions can be consulted here.
Source: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/