The Netherlands was expected to make a reservation last Friday at the SCoPAFF expert meeting, as LNV Minister Piet Adema had already informed the House of Representatives. A majority in Parliament has instructed the caretaker cabinet to vote against, but Adema wants to first await advice from Dutch experts at the Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb).
European legislation stipulates that the permit for the use of plant protection products can be extended for a maximum period of 15 years. In this case, Brussels proposes to extend the validity of glyphosate by 10 years. In theory, the LNV ministers can still choose a shorter period.
The current permit expires in December of this year, but sources close to the Commission stated that if a qualified majority is not reached in the first vote in October, the validity of the herbicide would be extended until the deliberations are concluded. This latter formulation creates administrative leeway for hesitant parties to postpone the proposal and potentially push it beyond the European elections.
Earlier, two important European advisory bodies (ECHA-chemicals and EFSA-food safety) concluded in additional studies that glyphosate does not pose a threat to the environment or humans. However, the European Commission attaches additional (new) conditions to its use in strips of four to ten meters wide along water edges. Furthermore, different spray nozzles must be used that reduce the chance of pesticide drift even further.
EU countries will need to decide by majority vote on October 13 on the future of glyphosate.
In France, President Macron promised in 2017 to phase out glyphosate "at the latest" by early 2021, before he retracted that promise last year. In the Netherlands and Belgium, the use of glyphosate is banned for individuals but not in agriculture and horticulture. In Portugal, its use is banned in public spaces. In the Czech Republic, it has been restricted but not banned since 2019. Germany plans to ban glyphosate by the end of 2023.
Ultimately, the EU proposal can either be blocked alone or adopted with a qualified majority. This means that at least 55% of member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population, must not only actively vote but also vote in favor or against, rather than abstaining.
Last year this did not succeed, after which European Commissioners themselves decided to extend usage by one year, allowing for the extra ECHA and EFSA studies to be conducted.