Monsanto glyphosate lobbyists barred from EU parliament

[Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)] have decided to bar lobbyists for Monsanto, the US agrochemical company, from the European Parliament under new rules designed to force companies to submit to more scrutiny by lawmakers.

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The presidents of every party in the European Parliament voted to withdraw lobbying access for Monsanto, known for genetically-modified seeds and its herbicide Roundup, after the company refused to participate in a public hearing due to take place on October 11.

The Monsanto decision came soon after two influential MEPs involved in investigating the Panama Papers tax scandal similarly called for lobbyists at Caterpillar to be blocked, after the US manufacturer refused to attend a parliamentary hearing.

MEPs sought the hearing involving Monsanto after leaked court documents raised concerns about the company’s efforts to influence research into Roundup and revealed internal debate about the product’s safety. Monsanto has said the documents had been taken out of context.

Philippe Lamberts, president of the Greens/EFA group in parliament, said: “Those who ignore the rules of democracy also lose their rights as a lobbyist in the European Parliament. US corporations must also accept the democratic control function of the parliament. Monsanto cannot escape this. Monsanto has to face the questions of parliamentarians and should not hinder the clarification process.”
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: European Parliament members decide to bar Monsanto lobbyists (behind paywall)