The EU has temporarily extended the time period for the chemical Glyphosate, widely used in Monsanto’s Round-up ‘weed’ killer. The chemical, feared to cause cancer and disrupt human hormones, had been on a temporary licence pending testing by the EU.
Showing just why Brexit succeeded and why many are waking up to the astonishing lack of democracy in the EU, the licence for Glyphosate was extended for 18 months despite member states failing to reach a qualified majority vote just the week before. In any functioning democracy, the licence would therefore have expired.
The World Health Organisation has classified Glyphosate as a ‘likely carcinogen.’ In spite of this, many farming organisations including UK and Irish organisations supported renewing the licence for Glyphosate.
The new licence for the chemical will run until the end of 2017 by which time the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) will supposedly have completed its tests.
However, given the EU’s willingness to sign up to TIPP, many are suspicious that the chemical will simply be waved through under the threat of massive lawsuits from Monsanto.