Scottish Conservative MEP Nosheena Mobarik is supporting reauthorisation of glyphosate in Brussels this week. The European Conservatives and Reformists, of which the Scottish Tories are members, are arguing for farmers to retain the use of the pesticide.

The key vote is the standing committee on plant animal food and feed (PAFF), on 25 October. The committee is made up of member states and chaired by a Commission representative. The European Parliament is permitted to object to the implementing act and adopt a resolution at committee and plenary, but the Commission is not obliged to act on the Parliament’s concerns.

Recent studies have concluded that the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or as toxic for reproduction – an outcome consistent with global evaluations on glyphosate. If there is no reauthorisation, then the chemical will be withdrawn.

A report last year by ADAS, the UK’s largest agricultural consultancy, estimated a total ban on glyphosate would reduce UK production of winter wheat and winter barley by 12% and oilseed rape by 10%, costing the industry £551 million a year.

The other Scottish MEPs declined to comment when contacted by the Farmers Journal.