Plant poison remains behind – glyphosate curse extended: Austria agreement

“It is a real scandal that the European Commission wants to allow glyphosate for at least another year despite the lack of a risk assessment. The plant poison can therefore simply be sprayed on the fields,” says agricultural expert Sebastian Theissing-Matei of Greenpeace.

The activist fears: “By 2023, we will also find residues of the likely carcinogenic plant toxin in our food.” His demand – as well as that of Greenpeace boss Alexander Egit – stated: “The drug must finally be removed from our fields and boards. Banned across the EU.”

Austria agreed to an extension
While the major European agricultural countries France and Germany abstained in any case and Luxembourg, Malta and Croatia refused to give their consent, Vienna gave a very clear green signal for the plant protection product. GLOBAL 2000 chemist Helmut Burtscher-Schaden promptly criticized “Austrian anti-nature attitude”.

The fatal consequences of this: the valid authorization in the Union expires on December 15, but the chemical companies have already applied for a new permit. The crux: a risk assessment still needs to be made for this. Until that happens—perhaps sometime next year—creation could be unchecked by the bee-killing glyphosate.

Heavy criticism from Spar and top chefs
This untenable situation also calls SPAR board member Markus Kaser to the plan: “It is incomprehensible and worrying that the decision-makers are not stopping the use of glyphosate.” The top chef and comrade-in-arms of the red-white-red grocer Paul Ivić also sees it this way: “The unfortunate substance destroys the soil quality. But this is the basis for a healthy diet.”