Monsanto lobbyists have been banned from entering the European parliament after the multinational refused to attend a parliamentary hearing into allegations of regulatory interference. 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 lobby ban will be a bitter blow to Monsanto’s advocacy campaign ahead of a decision later this year about the relicensing of glyphosate, which has been linked to cancer by one expert WHO panel. Monsanto spends between €300,000-€400,000 (£260,000 - £350,000) annually on lobbying in Brussels, according to its self-declaration form in the EU transparency register. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/sep/28/monsanto-banned-from-european-parliament.