EU extends authorization for glyphosate

After 2 votes (October 13 and November 16, 2023) by the 27 EU members without a qualified majority (15 countries out of 27 representing at least 65% of the EU population), and in accordance with EU legislation, the European Commission is required to adopt a decision. The European Commission has renewed the authorization of glyphosate for a further 10 years, until 2033.

 

However, a number of conditions of use (buffer strips of 5 to 10 m to avoid contamination of nearby fields; use of equipment to reduce spray drift by at least 75%) have been recommended to take account of uncertainties about human health and the environment. 

 

Widely used in agriculture, glyphosate has been strongly criticized over the last ten years. It has been considered a probable carcinogen by the World Health Organization, but scientific evidence does not allow it to be classified as a carcinogen according to ECHA, the European Chemicals Agency. 

 

Glyphosate is a non-selective, leaf-absorbed, systemic, total foliar herbicide. Glyphosate has been produced exclusively by Monsanto since 1974, and by other companies since 2000, when its patent entered the public domain.