Bayer says it will not tolerate unethical behavior while France investigates Monsanto's case

FILE PHOTO: Bayer Roundup weed atomisers are on sale at a gardening store near Brussels, Belgium on November 27, 2017. REUTERS / Yves Herman / File Photo

May 11, 2019

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Bayer said on Saturday that it does not accept "unethical behavior" following a French investigation into an alleged case gathered by the country's seed production unit. German company Monsanto to influence various personalities in France.

The French prosecutor said Friday to have opened the investigation into a complaint filed by the daily Le Monde.

According to the newspaper and other French media, Monsanto has compiled a file of some 200 names including journalists and lawmakers hoping to influence their stance on pesticides.

The file, reports Le Monde, dates from 2016 and was leaked by the US agency of public relations and marketing FleishmanHillard.

In an e-mail statement, Bayer declined to comment on the investigation, saying that he did not know which documents the allegations were referring to.

"We defend the openness and fair treatment of all interest groups. We do not accept any unethical behavior in our company, "he said. "This obviously also applies to data privacy regulations in the respective countries."

FleishmanHillard announced Friday that he would be conducting an investigation into the charges in The World. The company "will examine issues raised by some media about stakeholder lists containing publicly available information," the statement said.

Bayer, which bought Monsanto on a $ 63 billion deal last year, is facing growing litigation over its Roundup weed killer, a broad-spectrum glyphosate systemic herbicide.

In August 2018, a US jury found the company responsible for Monsanto's failure to warn users of Roundup's suspected cancer risks.

Bayer suffered a similar defeat against the weed killer last month, while more than 13,000 plaintiffs claim damages. The company announced last month its intention to defend itself in all the lawsuits.

(Report by Douglas Busvine in Frankfurt, edited by Richard Lough and Clelia Oziel)