EFSA's evaluation of glyphosate no longer valid - Bart Staes

Greens/EFA MEP Bart Staes has called on European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Director Bernhard Url and EU governments to re-consider the evaluation of glyphosate due to serious concerns that the agency mishandled its analysis of the safety of glyphosate.

Please see below a quote from Green food safety spokesperson Bart Staes, plus some additional background information.

"The Monsanto Papers have seriously discredited the work of EFSA in its handling of the glyphosate authorisation. This agency has a vital role to play in protecting the environment and the health of citizens and such major irregularities cannot be tolerated. EFSA Director Bernhard Url should take responsibility for these failings and have the courage to reconsider.

"There is need for fundamental changes at the agency to ensure that its decisions are free from undue influence from industry, whether this be direct or indirect. That must mean that all studies used to make assessments are made public. EFSA and other EU agencies should work according to the UN's IARC transparent guidelines, which uses only publicly peer reviewed studies, in order to avoid corporate control of science and the sort of decision making we see now with Monsanto and glyphosate."

Background

• The authorisation of glyphosate is due to expire on 31 December. A discussion and stock taking by the Member States within a committee of experts is expected on 5 or 6 October.
• Despite the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) warning of the carcinogenic risks of glyphosate, the European Commission proposed to renew the authorization of this substance for 10 years. This was on the basis of EFSA’s assessment.
• In June 2017, Greens/EFA MEPs
• The declassification of documents internal to Monsanto in the trial of people with blood cancer attributed to their exposure to glyphosate exposed the manipulations carried out by the agrochemical firm and its direct involvement in the work of agencies believed be independent (see press release)
• On 11 October there will be a hearing of the Environment and Agriculture Committees of the European Parliament on "Monsanto papers and glyphosate." Monsanto has declined to participate.