A group of nearly 300 Belgian and Dutch scientists has urged their governments not to support the reapproval of the glyphosate herbicide.
The call came on the eve of discussions on the issue at the European Union on Thursday.
EU Member States failed last month to reach a decision on whether to reapprove the use of the herbicide, prompting further discussions scheduled for Thursday.
On Wednesday, 291 Belgian and Dutch scientists issued a letter reminding their governments, which abstained from the previous vote, that there is no definitive proof of glyphosate’s safety.
The 291 endorsers assert that recent independent research is not being taken seriously in risk assessments of glyphosate and other chemicals. They charge that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) relies primarily on industry studies.
The scientists claim further that the EFSA’s evaluation framework is “outdated” and only takes obvious effects on lab-animal behaviour and locomotion into account, even though these are late indicators of significant brain damage.
In their letter, they also highlight the presence of glyphosate in dust, rather than only in water and food as explored by the EFSA.
They warn that the “alarming evidence” of a link between glyphosate use and lung and intestinal health, as well as behavioural changes, has also not been sufficiently investigated.
In conclusion, the scientists call for a central role for independent science in the glyphosate decision, in addition to improved evaluation frameworks for pesticides.
