France probes pesticide maker Monsanto over ‘influence list’
- Complaints filed after reports of list of ‘targets’ for manipulation or ‘allies to recruit’ to help lobby for the controversial company
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France has opened a preliminary inquiry into allegations that US pesticides firm Monsanto had information illegally collected on the views and pliability of hundreds of high-profile figures and media outlets.
Paris judicial police will carry out the investigation following a complaint by Le Monde newspaper and one of its journalists, whose name appears on the list, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
Two anti-pesticide NGOs – Foodwatch and Generations Futures – are also preparing to lodge legal complaints over the alleged lists.
The investigators will look into the possible “collection of personal information by fraudulent, unfair or illicit means”.
US giant Monsanto allegedly had public relations agency FleishmanHillard draw up the files on the opinions of the targeted people and media bodies on the controversial weedkiller glyphosate and on genetically modified crops as well as their propensity to be influenced in their opinions.
On the list are politicians, scientists and journalists – including four from Agence France-Presse. Information was collected on their views on pesticides and on Monsanto as well as their leisure pursuits, addresses and phone numbers, according to France 2 public television channel.
Some of the names were listed under categories such as “priority targets” and “potential allies to recruit”, according to reports.
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France’s former environment minister Segolene Royal, whose name was said to be on the lists, said the allegation “says a lot about the methods of lobbyists … they carry out spying, infiltration, seek to influence, sometimes financially I imagine”, adding that other companies are likely to indulge in similar practices.
A spokesman for FleishmanHillard said: “FleishmanHillard and our staff are committed to compliance with applicable laws and we are committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct.
We continue to take that responsibility very seriously and will carefully examine the questions raised by certain media outlets about the lists of stakeholders that included publicly available information.”
Monsanto ordered to pay US$289 million for its weed killers that caused cancer
Glyphosate developer Monsanto was convicted in the United States in 2018 and 2019 of not taking necessary steps to warn of the potential risks of Roundup – their weedkiller containing the chemical, which two California juries found caused cancer in two users.
German pharmaceutical firm Bayer, which bought Monsanto last year, announced last month that over 13,000 lawsuits related to the weedkiller have been launched in the US.
