The European Commission recently extended the European Union authorization for the use of the herbicide glyphosate until the end of 2023, according to commission officials. The last approval of glyphosate came in 2017 for a five-year period that was due to expire on Dec. 15 of this year.
Earlier this year, the commission asked EU countries to approve a one-year extension of the authorization, after the European Food Safety Authority said it would not be able to conclude a risk-assessment process until July 2023. The conclusions of EFSA will likely determine whether or not the commission and EU countries decide whether to further approve the chemical.
In May, the European Chemicals Agency concluded that glyphosate doesn’t cause cancer but can cause serious eye damage and is toxic to marine life.
The one-year extension was required under EU rules after a majority of countries failed to agree in votes in October and November.
David Murray can be reached at [email protected].
