The composition of a special committee to look into the European Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides has been adopted by the European Parliament. Later this month, during its first meeting, the committee will elect its chair.
The special committee is a response to concerns raised about the risk posed by the herbicide substance glyphosate. The herbicide had its marketing licence renewed by EU member states for five years in November last year.
The special committee will assess the authorisation procedure for pesticides in the EU, as well as the potential failures in how substances are scientifically evaluated and approved. It will also check the role of the European Commission in renewing the glyphosate licence and possible conflicts of interest in the approval procedure.
