The European Commission on Wednesday proposed to Member States to renew the authorization of glyphosate in the EU for ten years, under conditions, after a report from a regulator estimating that the level of risk did not justify banning this controversial herbicide. The European executive’s proposal, available online, will be examined on Friday by representatives of the Twenty-Seven, who will then have to validate it by a qualified majority of member states during a meeting on October 13.
The current authorization of glyphosate in the EU, renewed in 2017 for five years, expired on December 15, 2022, but was extended by one year pending a scientific evaluation on the herbicide. At the beginning of July, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) finally published its report, indicating that it had not identified any “critical areas of concern” in humans, animals and the environment that could prevent its authorization.
The Commission’s proposal authorizes the use of glyphosate until December 15, 2033, i.e. for a period twice as long as the previous authorization, but short of the 15-year period initially planned. However, the conditions of use of the herbicide must be accompanied by “risk mitigation measures” concerning the surroundings of the sprayed areas, in particular by the establishment of “buffer strips” of 5 to 10 meters and the use of equipment to drastically reduce “spray drift”. Likewise, Brussels sets limit levels for certain “impurities” from glyphosate. The EFSA had also noted “a high long-term risk in mammals” for half of the proposed uses of glyphosate and recognized that the lack of data prevented any definitive analysis.
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To take this into account, the Commission urges the States, responsible for issuing authorizations at national level and setting the conditions of use according to local specificities, to “pay particular attention” to the effects on the environment. They will thus be required to examine “co-formulants” (other components present in authorized herbicides) and to assess consumer exposure to “residues that may be present in successive crops grown in rotation”. Likewise, States are called upon to pay attention to the impact on small mammals, considering “if necessary” mitigation measures or restrictions. If they identify potential indirect effects on biodiversity, they will have to examine whether other methods of crop protection are possible, and may adopt restrictions there too. Finally, they will have to ensure the protection of groundwater likely to be exposed via infiltration as well as surface water, in particular that used for the collection of drinking water. On the other hand, the use for desiccation (spreading glyphosate to dry a crop before harvest) is now prohibited.
Glyphosate, the active substance in several herbicides – including the famous Monsanto Roundup, widely used around the world – was classified in 2015 as a “probable carcinogen” for humans by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. World Health Organization. Conversely, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) ruled last year that the available scientific evidence did not allow glyphosate to be classified as a carcinogen.