Glyphosate is to receive 18 months extension

As the European Commissioner, Vytenis Andriukaitis announced on Tuesday at the sidelines of a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Luxembourg the Commission will extend the European approval for the controversial weedkiller glyphosate to 18 months. Shortly before the expiry of the current extension on June 30 and since, after several attempts, no agreement of the Member States for a renewed authorization could be found, this was the expected response from the Commission. It is entitled to decide without Parliament in this case.

Until recently, environmental organizations and EU politicians have urged to take the pesticide from the market. The Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany BUND criticized the announcement sharp. "These glyphosate decision is an affront to many convinced Europeans", said chairman Hubert Weiger. More than 80 percent of Germans believe that glyphosate is no longer to be used.

The European Chemicals Agency ECHA will now present a new assessment of whether glyphosate is carcinogenic. It has given to several studies, but came to different conclusions. Undisputed are massive negative effects of the chemical on biodiversity.

To get an impression on the pesticide watch the documentary "Glyphosate - Poisened Fields"