A Committee of European Union Member States is met on Monday, November 27, 2017 to discuss a licence extension for the controversial weedkiller glyphosate.
The EU licence for glyphosate will expire on December 15, and member states are divided as to whether they should agree to a five-year extension as proposed by the European Commission.
Glyphosate inhibits the growth of unwanted plants.
It is widely used in farming, but also to control plants in domestic and urban settings, and has been questioned amid concerns as to whether it might cause cancer.
So far, the commission has failed to secure the necessary support from EU member states for the renewal of the licence, despite proposing a shorter licensing period of five years, instead of 10 as envisaged originally.
In October, the EU parliament adopted a non-binding resolution to band the household use of glyphosate with immediate effect and end agricultural use by 2022.
