The herbicide glyphosate, developed by US company Monsanto and marketed as Round-Up, may still be used in the European Union for the next 10 years. This was decided by the European Commission on 16 November.

 In yet another meeting on the issue, EU member states also failed to reach a decision. Like many other countries, the Netherlands again abstained. It needed a majority of at least 15 EU member states, from countries representing 65 per cent of the EU population, to adopt or reject the commission's proposal. In the end, it was up to the European Commission to tie the knot. There will be new requirements and restrictions on the use of the drug, among other things to better protect nature. Scientists disagree on whether the drug is the cause of Parkinson's disease, among others, and also on its effects on nature and the environment.

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Dutch outgoing agriculture minister Adema did not heed an urgent call by a parliamentary majority to vote against renewing the licence

A parliamentary majority and more than 150 scientists and organisations last month made an urgent appeal to outgoing agriculture minister Adema not to agree to renew the licence. The Netherlands abstained because Adema wants to wait for new research into the health risks the use of glysophate.

Branch organisation LTO Nederland believes that farmers and market gardeners should be able to trust that the products they use are not harmful to their environment. LTO Nederland therefore considers it important that the authorisation of plant protection products remains based on independent scientific risk assessment. Also with regard to weed control, farmers and horticulturists make careful considerations and are fully looking for alternatives so that the use of glyphosate can be further reduced, says LTO Nederland.