EU Member States Consider 10-Year Glyphosate Extension
20 September 2023 Growers in the 27 EU member states might have an opportunity to continue applying glyphosate for an additional 10 years following a recommendation from EU’s Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG).
Glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, is approved for use in the EU through 15 December 2023, following a five-year extension approved in 2017.
The latest application for an extension was requested by the Glyphosate Renewal Group (GRG), a coalition of companies with an interest in the herbicide. Current members of the GRG include Albaugh Europe SARL, Barclay Chemicals Manufacturing Ltd., Bayer Agriculture bvba, Ciech Sarzyna S.A., Industrias Afrasa S.A., Nufarm GMBH & Co.KG, Sinon Corporation, Syngenta Crop Protection AG.
The European Commission appointed four Member States – France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden – to act as joint “rapporteurs” and carry out the initial assessment.
In a statement on its website the GRG said it “welcomes the draft regulation, which builds on the strong science-based conclusions of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
“As mentioned by the Commission, ‘glyphosate has been subject to two comprehensive assessments since 2012, both of which did not identify any concerns indicating that the authorization criteria laid down in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 are not met.’”
The recommendation follows a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) that stated: “The assessment of the impact of glyphosate on the health of humans, animals and the environment did not identify critical areas of concern. Some data gaps are reported in EFSA’s conclusions – as issues that could not be finalized or outstanding issues – for the European Commission and Member States to consider in the next stage of the renewal of approval process. These are the main findings of EFSA’s peer review of the risk assessment of glyphosate, carried out by authorities in four member states.”
The recommendation follows a 2022 hazard assessment by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which concluded glyphosate did not “meet the scientific criteria to be classified as a carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substance. EFSA used ECHA’s hazard classification for the purposes of the EU risk assessment on glyphosate.”
During the review process the member states were able to share comments. For example, Spain concluded: “After a thorough assessment, based on the epidemiological data as well as on data from long-term studies in rats and mice, taking a weight of evidence approach and comparison with the classification criteria according to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) of substances and mixtures, Spanish Authorities opinion is that glyphosate does not meet the criteria for classification as carcinogenic Cat 2.”
The Next Step
Glyphosate, originally developed by Monsanto, became part of the Bayer portfolio when it acquired Monsanto in 2018. The company has since spent billions of dollars to settle lawsuits that alleged the herbicide caused cancer. Despite those claims, glyphosate continues to see widespread use around the world.
The Commission will send the proposal to the bloc’s 27 member states to discuss on Friday, 22 September. A vote on the application is expected on 13 October, with the decision-making process expected to conclude by 15 December when the current license expires.
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