The European Parliament is to set up a special committee to review the EU’s procedure for authorising pesticides.

The move comes off the back of concerns raised by MEPs after internal documents emerged from the company Monsanto, which owns and produces Roundup.

Glyphosate is an active ingredient in Roundup, but revelations from the papers cast doubt on the integrity of studies used to evaluate the safety of glyphosate in pesticides.

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Some key points for the special committee will be to assess:

  • The authorisation procedure for pesticides in the EU.
  • Potential failures in how substances are scientifically evaluated and approved.
  • The role of the European Commission in renewing the glyphosate licence.
  • Possible conflicts of interest in the approval procedure.
  • The role of EU agencies, and whether they are adequately staffed and financed to fulfil their obligations.

    • The committee will be made up of 30 members, and it will present a final report to the full house based on its findings.

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