News Glyphosate
French glyphosate ban lifted
The French government has not banned the use of the herbicide glyphosate, also known as RoundUp. With that, President Emmanuel Macron cannot fulfill his promise. After the European extension for 5 years, Macron called for a ban within 3 years.
Agriculture Minister Stéphane Travert presented the new agricultural policy to the French Parliament on 28 May. This does not include a ban on glyphosate. The policy does state that the use of plant protection products must be reduced. This also means that the ban on neonicotinoids will be implemented in France.
More research
Agricultural advocates and Minister Travert argued for a legal basis to ban glyphosate. According to the minister, that is not there now. The existing arguments are not convincing enough. "The science is controversial on the subject, so we need to deepen our knowledge on the subject first," he said of a possible ban.
After a new 5-year license granted by the European Commission in November 2017, Macron promised a ban within 3 years. This as soon as alternatives were available. In February, the Minister of Ecology, Nicolas Hulot, already announced that a derogation was being considered for companies that could not do without glyphosate. Ultimately, the product will also remain available to French farmers until 2023 instead of 2021.
Niels van der Boom
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
