Glyphosate has been given a last-minute stay of execution in Europe after the EU Commission this week agreed to extend its licence for 18 months.
EU health commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis confirmed on Tuesday (28 June) the current approval period for the herbicide - which is the primary ingredient in Monsanto’s bestselling weedkiller Roundup - would be extended until the end of 2017.
Growers and farmers had faced the prospect of glyphosate being withdrawn from the market this month had its licence not been reapproved before 30 June, when it was due to expire.
Research by agricultural consultancy ADAS suggested the resulting ban on the chemical would have slashed the production value of UK winter wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape by €633m (£502m) a year, with tightening supplies potentially pushing up commodity prices.
The decision on whether to grant glyphosate a temporary licence extension while the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) conducts further assessments into possible health risks fell to the European Commission, after EU member states repeatedly failed to reach an agreement on the issue.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an arm of the World Health Organization, last year warned glyphosate was “probably carcinogenic”, but the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) subsequently concluded it was “unlikely” to cause cancer in humans.
The Commission said it took EFSA’s “thorough and stringent scientific assessment” into account for its final decision. It has proposed restrictions on the use of glyphosate in Europe, although member states have yet to agree on those conditions.
Producers have welcomed the last-minute reprieve for glyphosate, which farmers claim is “hugely important” to UK food production.
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