ANPA potato field is being irrigated.
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 16:30
The Netherlands must vote against the European admission of glyphosate herbicide next month. That is the opinion of a majority in the House of Representatives.
In October, Minister Adema of Agriculture must vote on behalf of the Netherlands in the European Commission on a proposal to authorize glyphosate, a product used in agriculture to protect crops against weeds, for a period of fifteen years. On the initiative of the Party for the Animals and GroenLinks, a majority in the House calls on him to vote against.
Insufficiently known
According to GroenLinks and the Party for the Animals, various scientific studies link the use of glyphosate to Parkinson’s disease. They also point out that glyphosate may be carcinogenic.
According to the two parties, the food safety organization EFSA acknowledges that not enough is known about the relationship between toxic residues on food and the effects on bacteria in the intestines.
They also point to the harmfulness of glyphosate to biodiversity, including aquatic life and bees, and the risk to drinking water extraction.
Additional research
Minister Adema says in a response that the cabinet has not yet taken a position. The European Chemicals Agency has previously said there is no reason to suggest that glyphosate is carcinogenic. Less is known about the harmful effects on the human nervous system. That is why Adema wants to wait for the results of additional research.
According to Adema, the motion is now too early. “It is an important theme, also for agriculture. I therefore want to do this in a careful manner,” he said in a parliamentary debate. But the parties did not agree, because the investigation could take years. That is why they are calling on the cabinet to vote against it in October.
2023-09-07 14:30:20
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