A French court has banned the sale of two weedkillers containing glyphosate produced by Swiss chemical group Syngenta.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Reuters/sb
“The decision on September 30, 2020, by French health security agency ANSES to renew the marketing authorisation for the chemical product Touchdown Systeme 4 was annulled,” a ruling by the administrative court of Montpellier in southern France said on Friday.
“The precautionary principle was not respected” due to the lack of a complete evaluation procedure, it said. A separate but similar decision was taken for Syngenta’s Touchdown Foret weedkiller.
Syngenta said the ruling was “disappointing”. Its products had gone through “a rigorous approval process that demonstrated safe use”, it told Reuters, adding that it may appeal.
The weedkillers covered by Friday’s ruling remained authorised pending the terms of a withdrawal procedure, such as a deadline for using the products, Syngenta added.
Glyphosate, first developed by Bayer’s Monsanto unit under the brand Roundup, has been a focus of controversy since a World Health Organization agency concluded in 2015 that it probably causes cancerExternal link.
French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017 pledged to end glyphosate use in France within three years, but his government later said it would consider whether other solutions existed. The EU approval of glyphosate was extended for another year last December.
In 2018 the Swiss government said that it did not consider the widely used product a health risk. Swiss Federal Railways said in 2019 it would stop using the controversial herbicide glyphosate by 2025.
More
More
Stop organic farming to help future food crisis, says Syngenta boss
This content was published on
Syngenta CEO Erik Fyrwald has called for an end to organic farming to avoid a worsening food crisis.
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Is 100% organic farming a revolution too far?
This content was published on
Organic farming is widely touted as a green and sustainable solution. The experiences of Sri Lanka and Switzerland show the reality is complicated.
American farmers pursue Syngenta over herbicide’s link to Parkinson’s disease
This content was published on
The Swiss-based multinational may have to fork out billions to settle legal cases filed by farmers exposed to paraquat as lawsuits pile up.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.