Fastest-growing European Citizens’ Initiative demonstrates huge societal concern about pesticides

Brussels, 15 June 2017 – Today, the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) to ban glyphosate, reform the EU pesticide approval process, and set mandatory targets to reduce pesticide use in the EU surpassed one million signatures.


The ECI has fulfilled the requirements set by the EU in less than five months, making it the fastest-growing ECI since the EU introduced this tool in 2012. The ECI organisers call on the European Commission to respect the signatories’ demands by refusing a new licence for glyphosate. The petition will remain open for sign-on.

David Schwartz, ECI Coordinator at WeMove.EU said: “European citizens aren’t fooled by the pesticide industry’s lobbying efforts or the faulty science it’s peddling. In less than five months, more than one million EU citizens have joined our call for a glyphosate ban and reduced pesticide use throughout the EU. Our politicians need to hear this message loud and clear: they must protect citizens and the environment by banning this dangerous weedkiller and putting us on the path towards a pesticide-free future.”

Franziska Achterberg, Greenpeace EU Food Policy Director said: “Monsanto and other producers of glyphosate are doing all they can to get governments around the world to approve their product. They have allegedly paid independent scientists to sign studies they wrote and cosied up with government officials to ‘kill’ unwanted investigations. Yet the Commission continues to maintain that everything is fine. Greenpeace demands an investigation into whether Monsanto has improperly influenced the EU assessment.”

The European Commission has recently announced its intention to renew the EU glyphosate licence by another 10 years. It is expected to issue a formal proposal ahead of a discussion with EU government representatives on 19 and 20 July. EU governments will be asked to vote on this proposal after the summer. Based on the outcome, the Commission will take a final decision before the end of the year when the current EU glyphosate licence runs out.

The ECI organisers will submit the signatures at the beginning of July, in order to require the Commission to formally respond before the final decision on a new glyphosate licence is made. Until then, people still have the opportunity to speak out against glyphosate and in favour of reduced pesticide use in the EU.

The #StopGlyphosate ECI is backed by a pan-European coalition of over 100 organisations throughout the EU, and coordinated by WeMove.EU. For more information or to sign, please visit www.stopglyphosate.org.

 

Contacts:

David Schwartz – ECI Coordinator, WeMove.EU, +32 (0)486 07 83 42; [email protected]
Franziska Achterberg – Greenpeace EU food policy director, +32 (0)498 362403, [email protected]
Greenpeace EU press desk: +32 (0)2 274 1911, [email protected]

For breaking news and comment on EU affairs: www.twitter.com/GreenpeaceEU

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties.