Glyphosate is a non-selective systemic herbicide that is applied directly to plant foliage. It was first commercialised in the mid 1970’s and is registered worldwide. Its uses incorporate agriculture, forestry, industrial, home and garden, and semi aquatic areas.
A decision on renewal of the approval of glyphosate for use in plant protection products placed on the market in the EU is due to be made by 30 June 2016. The issue has been discussed by Member State representatives at meetings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed held on 7-8 March 2016 and 18-19 May 2016. A vote has not been taken yet on the EU Commission proposal for renewal of approval.
The Commission’s draft proposal is based on a very extensive evaluation performed by Germany and peer reviewed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and Member State experts. The EU peer review process was comprehensive and rigorous and was specially extended to allow for detailed consideration of the report produced in 2015 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organisation. Following the extended peer review, EFSA concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans. This conclusion was supported by 27 out of 28 Member State toxicology experts, and is in line with the conclusions of other regulatory agencies around the world, including those in Australia, Canada, Japan and the United States.
My Department considers that the EU peer review process for glyphosate has clearly identified safe uses and that the regulatory proposal presented contained appropriate measures for implementation by Member States to address concerns that have been raised.
It should be noted that the legal basis for the appropriate chemical hazard classification of glyphosate in Europe, including its carcinogenic potential, will be provided by an assessment overseen by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), which is due to begin later in 2016 and run for 18 months.
All plant protection product uses (including glyphosate) are monitored via my Department’s annual pesticide residue monitoring programme. This is a programme that is agreed in conjunction with the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and the European Commission. The programme involves the sampling of produce at distribution centres, retailers, and other storage and processing premises, and also includes processed food samples. These samples are analysed for up to 400 pesticides including glyphosate. The annual “Pesticides residues in Food” reports can be found on my Department's website:
http://www.pcs.agriculture.gov.ie/foodsafety/themonitoringandcontrolsprogramme/.
In addition, as part of the cross-compliance inspection regime carried out at farm level, checks are carried out to ensure that plant protection products are used by farmers in accordance with their conditions of authorisation. Other monitoring for glyphosate undertaken in Ireland includes an assessment of its prevalence in water bodies, carried out on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency as part of the first phase of the national Water Framework Directive monitoring programme.
