The European Parliament decided to set up a special committee on the Union’s authorisation procedure for pesticides. It shall be vested to analyse and assess:
- the authorisation procedure for pesticides in the Union, including the methodology used and its scientific quality, the procedure’s independence from industry, and the transparency of the decision-making process and its outcomes;
- the potential failures in the scientific evaluation of the approval, or renewal of approval, of active substances such as glyphosate by the relevant EU agencies;
- possible conflicts of interest at all levels of the approval procedure.
The committee shall make any recommendations that it considers necessary with regard to the Union authorisation procedure for pesticides in order to achieve a high level of protection of both human and animal health and the environment.
It shall undertake visits and hold hearings to this end with the EU institutions and relevant agencies, as well as with international and national institutions, nongovernmental organisations and private bodies.
The special commission shall have 30 members and the term of office shall be nine months, except where Parliament extends that period before its expiry. It shall present a final report to Parliament containing factual findings and recommendations as to measures and initiatives to be taken.