EU Commission Decides to Prolong Glyphosate Usage for Another Decade as Member Nations Unable to Reach Consensus

The European Commission has decided to extend the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate in the European Union for another 10 years. The decision comes after the 27 member countries failed to reach a consensus on whether to prolong its use or not. Last month, representatives of EU states were unable to come to a decision, and a new vote by an appeal committee on Thursday was also inconclusive. As a result, the European Commission will endorse its own proposal and renew the approval of glyphosate, but with new conditions attached.

The new restrictions include a prohibition of pre-harvest use as a desiccant and the requirement of certain measures to protect non-target organisms. Glyphosate, which is widely used in the EU, has faced significant opposition from environmental groups. Its approval in the EU market was set to expire in mid-December.

Immediately after the decision, the Greens political group of the EU Parliament called on the Commission to ban the use of glyphosate. Bas Eickhout, the vice chair of the Environment Committee, expressed concern over the potential risks to biodiversity and public health.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in products like the weedkiller Roundup, has been the subject of intense scientific debate over the past decade. The chemical, introduced by Monsanto in 1974, has been questioned for its potential link to cancer and its impact on the environment. German pharmaceutical company Bayer acquired Monsanto in 2018 and has been facing numerous claims and lawsuits related to Roundup. In 2020, Bayer agreed to pay up to $10.9 billion to settle around 125,000 claims. Just recently, a California jury awarded $332 million to a man who sued Monsanto, claiming that his cancer was caused by the use of Roundup.

In 2015, the France-based International Agency for Research on Cancer, a part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.” However, the EU’s food safety agency stated in July that it did not identify critical areas of concern in the use of glyphosate, paving the way for a 10-year extension.

While the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency concluded in 2020 that glyphosate does not pose a health risk to people, a federal appeals court in California ordered the agency to reexamine its ruling due to insufficient evidence.

The European Commission’s proposal for a 10-year extension required a “qualified majority” from the 27 member countries, representing at least 65% of the total EU population. As this majority was not achieved, the final decision was left to the EU’s executive arm.

Pascal Canfin, the chair of the Environment Committee at the European Parliament, criticized the EU Commission president for moving forward with the re-authorization of glyphosate. He expressed regret that Ursula von der Leyen approved the extension without majority support, particularly since France, Germany, and Italy, the continent’s three largest agricultural powers, did not back the proposal.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron had previously committed to banning glyphosate before 2021 but later reversed his stance. The country chose to abstain from the vote rather than calling for a prohibition.

EU member states are responsible for authorizing the use of products in their national markets after conducting safety evaluations. Germany, the EU’s largest economy, plans to stop using glyphosate from next year, although this decision may face challenges. Luxembourg’s national ban on glyphosate was overturned in court earlier this year.

Greenpeace has urged the EU to reject the reapproval of glyphosate, citing studies indicating potential health risks and harm to bees. The agroindustry sector argues that there are no viable alternatives to the chemical.