MEPs have agreed that Monsato lobbyists should be barred from the European Parliament after the company refused to attend a hearing on allegations that it influenced studies on the safety of its products.
The US agrochemical company has been accused of refusing requests to participate in hearings about the corporation's alleged efforts to influence regulations of glyphosate, the active chemical in its product Roundup, within the 28-nation bloc.
The presidents of every party in the European Parliament voted to withdraw lobbying access for Monsanto.
It is the first time MEPs have used new rules to withdraw parliamentary access for firms that ignore a summons to attend parliamentary inquiries or hearings.
Monsanto officials will now be unable to meet MEPs, attend committee meetings or use digital resources on parliament premises in Brussels or Strasbourg.
The limitations come in the midst of a lengthy and controversial process to decide if glyphosate will be reapproved for use in the EU for the next decade.
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said 2017 looks like a "watershed year for classical chemistry" for arable farms with these three decisions on the horizon from Europe.
He said: “A poor decision on endocrine disruptor definition could see an end to the availability of around 26 active ingredients; the European Commission is proposing a ban on the use of neonicotinoids on all outdoor crops; and a decision on the reauthorisation of glyphosate is due by the end of the year.
“The NFU will continue to make the case for evidence-based decisions to be made in all three of these areas, and we will continue to work with our members to help them make the case to politicians and other decision makers about the importance of these products and to demonstrate the damage that bad decisions will have on farming and our food supply.”
The European Commission is also examining Bayer’s $66bn acquisition of Monsanto.
