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France is open to phasing out the World’s most used weedkiller glyphosate over the next five to seven years, the French government said on Monday, following complaints from farmers worried about a potential imminent ban.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe reiterated Paris would vote against the European Commission’s proposal to extend for 10 years the licence for glyphosate, which is used in Monsanto’s Roundup, citing uncertainty about its safety. A vote is due to take place by the end of the year.
However, Philippe said the French government had asked the farm and environment ministries to propose by the end of the year “a plan to move away from glyphosate in light of the current research and available alternatives for farmers,” signalling a readiness to accept a gradual phasing out.
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A government spokesman earlier referred to the end of the president’s five-year term in mid-2022 as a potential start date for a full ban, while Agriculture Minister Stephane Travert on Friday spoke of a five- to seven-year phase out period.
A government source also said France, the EU’s largest grain grower and exporter, was asking the Commission to present a plan for phasing out glyphosate, but denied any timeframe had been set.
A European Commission source said an EU vote due on Oct. 5-6 on the licence had been postponed for at least a month. A failure to renew the licence by the end of the year would see a ban kick in automatically on Jan. 1, 2018.
No!!