The available scientific evidence does not allow classifying glyphosate, a controversial herbicide widely used around the world, as a carcinogen.

This is in any case what the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) estimated on Tuesday.

"ECHA's Committee for Risk Assessment has formed its independent scientific opinion: the current classification of glyphosate does not change," said the agency's director of risk assessment, Mark Rasenberg.

Glyphosate is currently classified as causing "eye damage" and being "toxic to aquatic environments".

"After a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the Committee again concludes that a classification of glyphosate as a carcinogen is not warranted," ECHA said in a statement.

The Commission must decide on the extension of its authorization

This assessment is essential for the European Commission to decide whether or not to extend the authorization issued to the herbicide in the EU.

The current authorization, extended in 2017 for five years, expires on December 15, 2022, but it will be automatically extended until the end of the evaluation process, unless a particular risk is identified in the meantime.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) had postponed until July 2023 EFSA's conclusions on "all possible risks of exposure to glyphosate for animals, humans and the environment”.

This report was initially expected in the "second half of 2022" but it was postponed in order to be able to "take into consideration" hundreds of contributions.

"Probable carcinogen" for the WHO

The Glyphosate Assessment Group, made up of four rapporteur Member States (France, Hungary, the Netherlands and Sweden), must provide EFSA with an updated opinion by the end of September, before a series of consultations and final conclusions of the regulator.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization (WHO) classified glyphosate in March 2015 as a "probable carcinogen" for humans.

France, for its part, had set itself the objective of eliminating most of the uses of this weedkiller in 2021, before a total ban in 2023. Agricultural organizations oppose it, pointing to the absence of an alternative product.

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  • Health

  • Glyphosate

  • European Union (EU)

  • Chemical products

  • Cancer