The European Commission renews the authorization of glyphosate for 10 years

The end of glyphosate use in the European Union will not happen before December 2033 at the earliest.

This is what the European Commission announced in a press release on Thursday 16 November. In the absence of an agreement between the 27 member states, it decided to renew the authorization of the herbicide in the EU for ten years. France, like Germany, Belgium and Italy, abstained from the vote.

No “areas of critical concern” according to the Commission

The European executive justifies its decision to approve glyphosate for another decade with a review “in-depth assessments (…) [et] in collaboration with Member States ». It is based in particular on a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which, last July, believed it had not identified any “area of ​​critical concern” in humans, but also in animals and the environment which could prevent the authorization of the herbicide. On the other hand, the agency admitted the lack of precise data on the health and environmental consequences of its large-scale use.

This renewal was obviously welcomed positively by manufacturers, starting with the German group Bayer, owner of Monsanto since 2018, and which produces Roundup. “This new authorization allows us to continue providing farmers across the European Union with important integrated weed management technology”said a Bayer spokesperson, quoted by The world.

For the NGOs Générations futures and Foodwatch, this is the renewal of the authorization of glyphosate “It once again goes against the precautionary principle as evidence of glyphosate’s dangers to humans and the environment continues to accumulate”.

A substance classified as a “probable carcinogen”

Classified as a “probable carcinogen” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO), glyphosate was recently the subject of a study with worrying results. According to this toxicological research presented at a scientific conference on October 25 in Bologna (Italy), rats exposed to low doses of glyphosate-based herbicide developed leukemia.

“ These findings are of such public health importance that we decided it was critical to present them now, before their publication »declared Dr. Daniele Mandrioli, coordinator of the study and director of the Ramazzini Institute in Italy quoted by Reporterre. This obviously wasn’t enough for the European Union to decide to ban glyphosate.