The European Commission proposes re-approval of glyphosate for 10 years

21 September 2023

The European Commission has put forth a proposal to grant a 10-year extension for glyphosate. The contentious chemical substance stands as the most widely utilised pesticide across the globe. Nevertheless, its usage has garnered criticism for its associations with cancer and its potential harm to wildlife. In 2017, it received approval for usage in the EU amid substantial controversy, and its five-year license was further prolonged by 12 months in December of the previous year.

In July, the Commission signaled its intention for glyphosate to obtain full approval from member states, thereby becoming re-authorised for use within the EU, after the release of an assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which did not identify any critical areas of concern linked to the chemical’s application in agriculture but did note several data gaps.

Member countries are set to deliberate on the Commission’s proposal this Friday, with a formal vote scheduled for October 13. Up until recently, Luxembourg was the sole EU nation to completely prohibit glyphosate; however, this ban was lifted earlier this year following a legal challenge mounted by Bayer.

German Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir has expressed his opposition to the European Commission’s suggested extension of glyphosate approval and is actively rallying other nations to join his resistance.

As mentioned earlier, the proposed re-approval draft relies on the findings presented by EFSA, which admitted nonetheless the existence of “data gaps.” These data gaps create a significant hurdle in addressing several critical issues, including conducting a comprehensive dietary risk assessment for consumers.

This implies that the potential re-approval of glyphosate could be based on an evaluation that lacks a vital aspect: concrete evidence demonstrating that consumers’ health is not endangered. This omission is particularly troubling, given that EFSA itself acknowledges, in the context of ecotoxicology, a high long-term risk to mammals in 12 out of 23 proposed uses of glyphosate due to insufficient data. Additionally, other important concerns such as the assessment of impurities in glyphosate and the evaluation of risks to aquatic plants remain unexplored due to data gaps.

In light of the fact that glyphosate was classified as a “probable carcinogen” for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2015 and numerous scientific studies have demonstrated contamination and adverse effects of glyphosate on living organisms, it is imperative to reject the re-approval of this substance. Re-approval should only be considered if concrete evidence confirms its safety for human health and the environment. In cases where data is lacking, it is essential to apply the precautionary principle, prioritising the well-being of consumers and the environment.