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Fiona fox's blog
The EU failed to reach agreement during a vote on whether to reauthorise the use of glyphosate.
We have previously issued quotes on this subject.
Dr Lynn Dicks, NERC Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, said:
“This decision on the future of glyphosate is a major concern for the farming industry, and the uncertainty around its regulation surely influenced voting by farmers in the British referendum on Europe.
“This case illustrates the challenges of developing regulations informed by the latest scientific evidence. Science is almost always uncertain and by its nature highly responsive to new evidence. Policy and regulation require certainty and seek long term stability. When policy changes quickly, jobs and livelihoods can be put at risk.
“In some cases, a rapid policy change is necessary to avert an unacceptable impact. As a society, we need to select those cases very carefully, to make sure they are based on legitimate, credible and unbiased scientific evidence.”
Declared interests
None declared