Glyphosate to gain temporarily one year approval in EU without support of qualified majority of Member States

EU member states once again blocked the Commission’s proposal to extend the marketing authorisation of the herbicide glyphosate for another year, but the EU executive is set to still approve an interim renewal before mid-December, according to the report of EURACTIV.com.

On Tuesday (15 November), an appeal committee made up of member states’ representatives did not reach the necessary majority to give green light to an interim EU approval for glyphosate as an active substance in plant protection.

The temporary extension of glyphosate marketing authorisation for an extra year was proposed by the European Commission since the current authorisation is set to expire in mid-December while the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) reassessment of the active substance will only become available in July 2023.

In October, EU countries blocked the Commission’s proposal at the Standing Committee of the EU Commission on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF), prompting the EU executive to appeal.

However, the second attempt to pass the regulation failed again on Tuesday (15 November) as, once again, there was no majority among member states in favour of glyphosate re-approval.

The ball is now back again in the Commission’s court, as the College of Commissioners could now approve the rules on its own.

″The Commission now has a legal obligation to take a decision before the expiration deadline in mid-December,″ the Commission spokesperson said.

The EU spokesperson confirmed to EURACTIV that the EU executive will now proceed to adopt the regulation that will extend the approval period of glyphosate by one year, namely until 15 December 2023.

Read the full story at EURACTIV.com.