News in brief: The EU has proposed a 10-year re-approval of glyphosate herbicide, widely used in agriculture, pending a vote in the European Parliament and the Council. This decision comes despite safety concerns expressed by scientists and environmental groups, as well as bans in some EU countries.
The European Commission has proposed to re-approve the use of glyphosate herbicide for 10 years, a news report says.
Glyphosate is one of the most widely used ingredients in the world in a variety of agricultural products, including herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic to humans. However, some scientists and environmental groups have expressed concerns about the safety of glyphosate, and they have called for it to be banned.
The European Commission’s proposal to re-approve glyphosate will now be put to a vote at the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. If the proposal is approved, glyphosate will be allowed to be used in European Union (EU) member states until 2033.
Some countries have, however, already banned or restricted the chemical’s glyphosate. For example, Austria banned glyphosate in 2019 and France banned its use in public areas in 2017. Others like Germany and the Netherlands have also imposed restrictions on the use of glyphosate.
The debate over the future of glyphosate in the EU is likely to continue for some time. Experts are concerned about its safety while others argue that it is an essential tool for farmers. Subsequently, the union is expected to weigh the concerns carefully before making a decision about whether to re-approve glyphosate.
