MPs have again called on farm minister Piet Adema to vote against EU plans to sanction the continued use of herbicide glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer and Parkinson’s.

A majority of MPs backed a motion calling on Adema to “urgently” listen to the wishes of parliament and vote against a new 10-year licence for the chemical.
Adema said earlier this week that the Netherlands would abstain on the issue.

The motion warned Adema that politicians should take scientists’ warnings about the risks into account. The minister said earlier that while he accepts people’s concerns, he wants to wait until the results of new research into the health risks before taking a stand.

At least 15 member states representing at least 65% of the EU population have to vote in favour of continuing the use of glyphosate, used in herbicides such as Roundup, to control weeds in arable farming and horticulture.

In the last vote, in 2017, 18 states voted in favour of extending the licence, including the Netherlands. The vote in Brussels will take place on Friday.

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Dutch farmers and the flower industry want to be able to use the chemical because, they say, there are no alternatives. The European food safety body EFSA has also given its approval.