The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Petition seeks backing for ban on herbicide
The European Citizens Initiative petition calling for a ban of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, has been officially launched.
Those behind the petition now have 12 months in which to collect a million signatures from at least seven EU member states. If they succeed, which is likely, their call will have to be considered by the European Commission.
If it rejects the demand it will have to publish its reasons for ignoring the petition.
Last summer, because of protests from activist groups, the commission limited the extension of the licence for glyphosate to 18 months, rather than the normal seven years.
It is due to receive a report on its safety from the European Union’s own chemical agency, which advises the commission on risk. While the European Commission wants less reliance on costly direct payments after the CAP is reformed in 2020, the farm commissioner, Phil Hogan, has confirmed that direct payments will remain part of the system.
Speaking after a consultation on CAP reform was launched, he said direct payments needed to be part of the CAP to guarantee farmers a safety net income.
Beyond that safety net guarantee the commission is keen on risk management tools and on finding ways to further reduce market support measures. Hogan also wants more meaningful measures to encourage young farmers, with calls for a CAP that reflects the need for ‘generational change’ in agriculture. The European Commission has ruled out any extension of the period freerange birds can be housed without losing their status for eggs to be sold as free range.
Current regulations limit the housing period to 12 weeks, but the commission says it does not have the powers to extend this further, even as an emergency measure.
The problem has arisen because birds have had to be housed due to the risk from avian flu. The commission says funds are available to compensate member states if they put in schemes to support farmers who have to house birds beyond the 12 weeks, on vet’s advice. The European lobby organisation for fruit and vegetable producers, Profel, has underlined the scale of the drop in production across Europe, because of poor weather conditions – and it is a problem that goes well beyond iceberg lettuce and spinach.
The report says the worst affected countries are France, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK as a result of weather conditions in 2016 that ranged from floods to drought and now cold.
Peas, beans and carrots are examples of crops where yields have been hit. It adds that across northern Europe yields of all vegetable crops have suffered, with output down by around a third. The problem in southern Europe, led by Spain, that has attracted so much publicity is down to the wettest winter there in 70 years, and a spell of unusually cold weather early last month.