The controversial weed killer glyphosate can be used in the EU for a year longer than previously planned. The EU Commission will decide to extend the temporary approval of the weed killer until December 15, 2023, a spokeswoman for the EU Commission told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. The decision has not yet been made formally, but this will be done by December 15th. Then the previous approval for glyphosate in the EU will expire.
According to the Commission, it was legally obliged to extend the approval, even if many EU countries did not agree to the extension. Additional time is needed so that the responsible EU authority can check all the necessary information and assess the safety of the drug with legal certainty. Then a long-term decision on glyphosate should be made.
Among other things, the pesticide has been criticized for causing cancer, but the manufacturer Bayer vehemently rejects this. Germany will no longer allow glyphosate from the beginning of 2024.
Criticism of the EU Commission’s announcement comes from the consumer organization Foodwatch. The case shows that the EU approval practice for pesticides needs to be reformed. “Pesticides may only be used as a last resort in emergencies,” the organization said.
