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The coordinator of France Insoumise, Manuel Bompard, calls for more voluntarism to ban glyphosate in Europe. He mentions “health risks” linked to this herbicide which “are intolerable and unacceptable”.
Manuel Bompard, coordinator of France insoumise, LFI deputy for Bouches-du-Rhône, called Thursday September 21 on franceinfo “France to take a clear position against this renewal of this authorization” glyphosate. The European Commission is proposing an extension of the use of this controversial pesticide for ten years. “I am totally opposed to it and I call on France to take a clear position against this renewal of this authorization”reacted strongly Manuel Bompard.
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Glyphosate has been classified as a “probable carcinogen” since 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO). Manuel Bompard recalled Emmanuel Macron’s commitment in 2017 to get France out of glyphosate within three years by preparing alternatives. “I understand that there may be a difficulty. But also understand that the health risks posed by this product for French people are intolerable and unacceptable”, he estimated. He asks for more voluntarism. “Since 2017, we have had time to make alternatives exist. We do nothing, we do nothing, we do nothing and then, we are told as we have no possible alternative, we must renew it for ten years”he denounced.
“Pesticide lobbies” at work
The European Commission considers that the level of risk of glyphosate did not justify banning it. This renewal proposal will be examined on Friday September 22 by the twenty-seven, who will have to validate it during October. Manuel Bompard sees behind this decision the shadow of lobbies. “The lobbying work of this large group Bayard Monsanto has borne fruit”he noted. “Everyone knows that pesticide lobbies at European level use considerable financial resources to influence political decisions”he added.
France advocates the use of glyphosate restricted to uses for which no alternative exists.