October 2, 2017 — Government officials in France say they will soon vote to phase out the agricultural use of Monsanto’s weed-killer Roundup (glyphosate) over concerns about the risk of cancer.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe reiterated that France would not vote to extent the license for glyphosate in the European Union for another 10 years, citing safety concerns.
“This is far too long, given the concerns that remain over this product, and France will vote against the proposal, as clearly laid out previously in July.”
The vote is expected to occur before the end of this year. If the license for glyphosate is not extended, it will be automatically banned on January 1, 2018.
Philippe also said he will ask agencies in the French government to create “a plan to move away from glyphosate in light of the current research and available alternatives for farmers” by the end of the year.
Philippe referenced a gradual phase-out, but France has not set an exact date for when it will ban Roundup. Other officials were quoted as saying the phase-out will take place over the next 5 to 7 years.
The announcements were met with protests from over 250 farmers who blocked the Champs-Elysées. France is currently the largest producer of grains in the European Union.
However, the announcement did not come as a surprise. France as banned Roundup sales in home-garden centers in 2015, very soon after glyphosate was classified as a “probable human carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).
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