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France to vote no on glyphosate use

European health ministers will vote this Friday on the continued use of the weed killer glyphosate and France is expected to vote it down. The move could impact other products widely-used in the European Union such as Monsanto’s Roundup.

The EU license for glyphosate expires at the end of June. If the license isn’t extended, manufacturers will have six months to phase-out products containing it from EU retailers. Contradictory findings on the health risks from glyphosate have made some politicians reluctant to approve its continued use.

The European Commission proposed renewing the license for 15 years but that failed and the commission offered a 12 to 18 month extension pending more scientific study. That extension also failed. The issue was then referred to an appeals committee that meets on Friday.

The European Union could act on its own if no decision is reached by Friday. France’s health minister says the government is committed to banning the use of glyphosate in France. Monsanto has defended the safety of glyphosate and has not ruled out a legal appeal if its license is not extended.