EU backs 5-year extension for glyphosate

EU countries approved on Monday the use of weed-killer glyphosate for the next five years after a heated debate over whether it causes cancer. Diplomats said Germany swung the vote, coming off the fence after abstaining in previous meetings to oppose its key EU partner France, which wanted a shorter licence extension.The European Commission said in a statement that 18 countries had backed its proposal to renew the chemical's licence, with nine voting against and one abstaining, declaring this to be a "positive opinion".Europe has been wrestling for the past two years over what to do with the chemical, a key ingredient in Monsanto's top-selling Roundup, whose licence was set to expire on Dec. 15.