AgroPages-Potential retail loss of glyphosate disappoints Crop Protection Association-Agricultural news

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The European Parliament has recommended re-registration of glyphosate, but not for park or garden use.

Crop Proection Association chief executive officer Nick von Westenholz said: "Following European Parliament plenary, It is important to note that the vote has no impact on the current use of glyphosate, consumers should rest assured that the product is still available and remains perfectly safe. Also, this vote is non-binding and does not affect the re-licensing process, it is still up to Member States and the European Commission to decide and CPA will continue to argue for the final decision to be taken according to the expert scientific advice of European regulators.

"Following their expert scientific evaluations, both Germany (as Rapporteur Member State) and EFSA considered glyphosate to be safe when used appropriately and concluded that glyphosate was not carcinogenic. In fact, no regulatory agency in the world classifies glyphosate as a carcinogen. This is in stark contrast to the surprising IARC classification of glyphosate as a "probable carcinogen".

"Whilst the European Parliament has not called for an outright ban as requested by activists and some MEPs it is disappointing that they have called for restrictions on glyphosate use in private gardens and public spaces and for a reduction in the length of approval to seven years instead of the customary 15 year approval period. Over 40 years of robust scientific evidence has confirmed that there is no unacceptable risk to human health and that glyphosate poses no cancer or endocrine disruptor risk.

"It is unfortunate that the debate around glyphosate has become politicised, causing some to lose sight of the overwhelming scientific evidence. To ban the use of glyphosate in private gardens and public spaces would be contrary to the science, provide no benefit to human health, wildlife or the environment.

"Human health and the responsible use of pesticides is, and must always be, the highest priority. As an industry we take pride in the detailed submissions we provide to regulators and the extreme rigor with which our products are assessed. The general public should rest assured that these products are safe and effective when used according to the instructions on the label."