Key vote on glyphosate reapproval in European Union results in deadlock

On Friday (13 October) a vote on the renewal of glyphosate's approval for use in the European Union (EU) ended in deadlock as Member States failed to reach a qualified majority on the issue.

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (SCoPAFF) voted on the Commission's proposal to renew for 10 years the use of glyphosate in the bloc.

The Commission drafted a proposal for the renewal of glyphosate based on the scientific evidence presented to and assessed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA).

The required majority to adopt or reject the proposal was not reached meaning the proposal for renewal, which is based on an opinion delivered by EFSA, will now be submitted to the Appeal Committee.

This Committee is comprised of EU Member State representatives and is expected to discuss and vote on the Commission's proposal to reapprove glyphosate's use for 10 years in the first half of November.

A decision on the renewal of glyphosate must be made by 14 December 2023, as the current approval for the EU (including Northern Ireland) expires on 15 December 2023.

The renewal of glyphosate in GB follows a different timescale following EU Exit.

Author

Hazel Doonan

Head of Crop Protection & Agronomy, AIC

Hazel is based at AIC Head Office, Peterborough and is responsible for management and coordination of the Crop Protection Sector.

Previous to her role with AIC Hazel was employed in the crop protection industry for 18 years as a BASIS qualified agronomist. She was also responsible for managing a regional agrochemical department with a national distributor.

Email:

[email protected]

Phone:

01733 385251

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