EU renews approval for herbicide glyphosate for five years

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had renewed for five years the license for the weed-killer glyphosate, a key ingredient in Monsanto Co's top-selling Roundup, following a heated debate over whether it causes cancer. A sufficient majority of EU countries voted at the end of November to clear the license extension, but opposition to the herbicide remained, including from a citizens' initiative wanting it banned and demanding greater transparency in future. The Commission said in a statement it would introduce measures early in 2018 to make decisions on pesticides more transparent and to enhance the quality and independence of scientific assessments. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)