Glyphosate not a cancer risk, say EU scientists

European Chemicals Agency classifies herbicide as ‘not carcinogenic’

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has classified glyphosate as “not carcinogenic” following an investigation into the safety of the important agricultural herbicide.

The conclusion was reached by the committee for risk assessment, which used scientific data to assess glyphosate against criteria in the Classification, Labelling and Packaging Regulation for European member states.

It said the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate for specific target organ toxicity, or as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or for reproductive toxicity.

The ECHA’s opinion on the safety of the herbicide builds on the views of other regulatory bodies around the world, including the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN and the European Food Safety Authority.

Welcoming the news, NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick hailed the ECHA’s conclusions as a “major step” towards the re-approval of the herbicide glyphosate.

The union said European regulators now have a mandate to allow the product to be re-authorised for a further 15-year period when they make that decision later this year.

“Glyphosate is a key tool for farmers, allowing them to control weeds and use environmentally friendly techniques, such as minimum tillage, which reduce soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Mr McCornick, adding the herbicide is also widely used to dry ripening crops, which in turn reduces the industry’s reliance on fossil fuels.

“It remains vital that the decisionmakers in Europe are under no illusion about the importance of glyphosate to Scottish farmers and growers.”

As a result, the union has appealed to any farmer that uses the product – and wishes to continue to do so – to communicate directly with their MEP exactly how important it is to their entire farming system.

Crop Protection Association (CPA) chief executive Sarah Mukherjee said glyphosate “is and always has been safe”.

“This ruling is another reminder this debate has never really been about safety, it has been hijacked and politicised to force a wider debate on modern agriculture,” she said.

But environmental charity Soil Association said the findings “contradict” the position of the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which classified glyphosate as a ‘probable carcinogen’ in 2015.

The European Commission will make a decision upon the re-authorisation of glyphosate before December 31.

NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick says glyphosate is a key tool for farmers.