Austria is the first EU country to ban glyphosate

In the name of the "precautionary principle" the Austrian Parliament has just approved a total ban of glyphosate on the national territory, making Austria the first country of the European Union to ban the herbicide.

 

 

 

Last Tuesday, a majority of MPs from various political parties voted in favor of the proposed amendment, according to which the placing of glyphosate products on the market is "prohibited in the name of the precautionary principle".

 

 

 

This total prohibition measure is debated. For some, it is not in conformity with the European legislation which authorizes it until December 15, 2022. For others, it is an accessory, the glyphosate being used only on 1% of the agricultural surfaces in Austria.

 

 

 

While the World Health Organization (WHO) has since 2015 classified glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen", EU scientific agencies, Efsa (food safety) and Echa (chemicals) have not classified it as carcinogenic. Yet its use is already limited in several European countries, such as the Netherlands, Italy, the Czech Republic and France.