Jury still out as EU avoids controversial vote on weedkiller licence

European farmer groups Copa and Cogeca want EU decision makers to approve a 15-year glyphosate licence to allow farmers build the herbicide into their plans.

Yesterday, the EU standing committee avoided taking a highly charged vote on the renewal of the licence for farmers to use glyphosate to control weeds on their farms. Farmers and environmental lobbyists have criticised the non-vote.

Prior to the non-vote, a lobby group of anti-glyphosate activists handed the EU a petition signed by 1.3m people urging MEPs not to renew the licence due to their fears that herbicide usage in agriculture may cause cancer in humans. The environmental group Greenpeace is among the main critics of glyphosate.