Image: Mihajlo Maricic
Glyphosate is approved throughout the EU until December 15th. According to the published proposal, the drug should be used in the EU for another ten years. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) viewed re-approval uncritically in its last assessment. However, environmental organizations warn of dangerous effects.
The Commission stipulates certain conditions for use in the EU, such as risk reduction measures. The aim is to prevent glyphosate from being blown away heavily during use. Member States are likely to continue to ban products containing glyphosate at national level. In Austria there is already a partial ban on sensitive areas and in non-professional areas.
EFSA does not rate the risks as great
The EFSA does not consider the risks it has examined to be so great that further approval would have to be prohibited. According to the ESFA, aspects that have not been conclusively clarified include nutritional risks for consumers and the assessment of risks for aquatic plants. A current study by PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network) on behalf of the Greens/EFA group in the EU Parliament detected the substance in water bodies in eleven out of twelve EU states, including Austria. According to Green MEP Sarah Wiener, 85 percent of Austrians are against glyphosate. “EFSA’s most recent assessment was not meaningful. In view of this, proposing an extension of 10 years is highly negligent and contradicts the EU precautionary principle,” commented Wiener on Wednesday.
Glyphosate kills all plants that come into contact with it. After treatment with the pesticide, the fields are free of weeds. It is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world and was developed by the US company Monsanto, which was taken over by the German pharmaceutical and agricultural chemicals group Bayer. With the purchase, Bayer also received a wave of lawsuits because of the alleged carcinogenic effects of glyphosate. Authorities worldwide, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the European Chemicals Agency, have classified the herbicide as not carcinogenic.
Member states still have to agree
The draft proposal is to be discussed with the representatives of the EU states in the responsible committee on Friday. The member states must give final approval to the extension. This is not expected before mid-October, possibly later.
“The probably carcinogenic poison glyphosate has long since disappeared from our fields and plates. Allowing glyphosate in Europe for another ten years would simply be negligent and a danger to our health and nature,” said Greenpeace agricultural expert Sebastian Theissing-Matei. “The responsible Minister of Agriculture, Norbert Totschnig, must definitely vote against extending the glyphosate approval.”
Bayer welcomed the EU Commission’s draft regulation. It is based on the “convincing science-based conclusions” of the EFSA. “Bayer is of the opinion that the decision of the Member States should be based on the scientific conclusions of the relevant authorities and lead to a vote for a renewed approval of the active ingredient glyphosate,” the company emphasized.
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