Asulam - the latest

This is the update provided by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate, yesterday:


'Due to legal procedural technicalities, there will be a repeat of the vote on asulam at the Standing Committee’s meeting on 14-15 July. This is required because the earlier vote in May was taken under Council Directive 91/414/EEC and was not implemented before Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 came into force on 14 June. Therefore, the vote needs to be taken again under the new Regulation. This is just a technical matter and will not change the previous outcome. It does however, mean that the Appeal Committee will not convene until the autumn as the Commission more or less shuts down over the summer.'


In summary, a further stay of execution, but it serves to extend the period of uncertainty.  Defra believes that the best chance of getting any change of course is at the Appeals Committee, when political issues stand a better chance of success against the pure technical arguments.


By the way, I am first in the queue for a job with the EU, so that I can also 'more or less shutdown over the summer' - assuming we get one this year.  To quote Flanders & Swann,  'I missed it last year, I was in the bath'!