According to Euractiv, the European Commission is reconsidering its proposal to renew the glyphosate dispute in an attempt to gain approval from the member states, according to sources familiar with the matter, suggesting that the EU executive could even present a new proposal.

The EU executive recently submitted a draft regulation to the member states, proposing to renew the approval of glyphosate for the EU market after December 15 of this year when the current approval expires.

If adopted, the regulation would mean that the controversial herbicide - the most widely used in the EU - can continue to be used in plant protection in the EU for the next decade, despite differing opinions on the impact of glyphosate on health and the environment.

However, the proposal can only be adopted with a green light from a qualified majority of member states. In practice, this means a combination of 55% of member states voting in favor - which translates to 15 out of 27 - plus support from EU countries representing at least 65% of the total EU population.

According to diplomatic sources, the Commission is currently in the process of amending the proposal to gain sufficient support from member states.

"The Commission will make a new proposal, so we are waiting to see it," said a diplomatic source when asked about their position.

Another source told EURACTIV that the Commission is "trying to update the proposal behind the scenes," based on the feedback it has already received to "make it more likely to pass."

"The first proposal was a test of the waters, but now it's being changed based on the feedback from EU countries," the source said.

The European Commission has proposed renewing the approval of glyphosate - a common and controversial herbicide - for a period of 10 years with a series of restrictions.

Some countries, such as France and Slovenia, have indicated that they could support the Commission's proposal with some modifications.

For example, the French advocate for banning the use of glyphosate in situations where it can be replaced with a viable alternative - something the country has already succeeded in doing. Meanwhile, Slovenia generally supports the proposal but has expressed some concerns about biodiversity, according to sources.

When asked if the Commission intends to amend the current proposal on the table, a Commission spokesperson said they "cannot comment on that" while discussions are ongoing but that it is "always possible to present new proposals to take into account concerns."

"The Commission's role is to facilitate the possibility of reaching a text with which the largest possible majority of member states agree," the spokesperson explained, adding that the focus is on "how to move things forward."

The spokesperson added that at the time of publication, the plan was to proceed and vote on the draft regulation within the Permanent Committee on Plants, Animals, Food, and Feed (PAFF committee) scheduled for October 13.

Meanwhile, a source from the EU added that the Commission has "quite a lot of leeway" to change a proposal if member states do indeed have a "fundamental problem" with the key components of a proposal. It is also possible to completely change the proposal if it is rejected by EU countries.