EU Commission Signals Immediate Action If Glyphosate No Longer Meets Safety Standards

According to Euractiv, the European Commission has stated it “will act immediately to amend or withdraw approval” if glyphosate is found to no longer meet the EU’s safety standards, a spokesperson confirmed.

ECHA and EFSA Called to Reassess

The European Commission is tasking the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with reviewing a newly published study linking glyphosate to increased tumor rates in rats—even at exposure levels currently deemed safe under EU regulations.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in many agricultural herbicides and the most widely used herbicide globally, has been under growing scrutiny for years. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” citing sufficient evidence of cancer in laboratory animals.

However, based on a joint assessment conducted between 2019 and 2023 with national authorities, EFSA and ECHA concluded that there was “no scientific or legal justification” to prohibit its use. As a result, the EU renewed glyphosate’s approval for another 10 years, valid until 15 December 2033.

This decision is now under renewed review following the 10 June release of a study by the Ramazzini Institute, which found a significant increase in tumor incidence in lab rats exposed to glyphosate at doses within current EU safety thresholds. The study reported “dose-related increases in the incidence of both benign and malignant tumors in male and female rats” subjected to daily exposure.

Request for Raw Data

In response to media inquiries, a spokesperson for Bayer, the chemical giant that produces glyphosate-based products, stated:

“There is an overwhelming consensus among leading health authorities around the world that glyphosate can be used safely, and no regulatory body has classified it as carcinogenic.”

Bayer dismissed the new study as flawed, citing “methodological shortcomings” and criticized the Ramazzini Institute’s “long track record of misleading claims.”

Meanwhile, EFSA expressed frustration over the lack of transparency from the Ramazzini Institute.

“In recent years, we have made repeated requests to the Ramazzini Institute [following their preliminary findings in 2023] to receive the raw data behind this study. We still have not received them,” an EFSA spokesperson told Euractiv.

EFSA emphasized that access to raw data is crucial to validate the study’s methodology, the composition of the tested materials, and the reported outcomes.

The agency added that such access is “particularly relevant” given that the study’s conclusions appear to contradict the broader body of evidence and the findings of EFSA, ECHA, and numerous other international regulators regarding glyphosate’s carcinogenic potential.

Ramazzini Institute Responds

Dr. Daniele Mandrioli, Director of the Ramazzini Institute, confirmed that the raw data would now be made available:

“Now that the study is complete, peer-reviewed, and published, we are ready to share data upon specific requests from regulatory authorities.”

The European Commission has requested the Institute to share its data so that EFSA and ECHA can officially assess whether these new findings affect the current risk assessment of glyphosate.

A Commission spokesperson added:

“If ECHA or EFSA confirm that glyphosate no longer meets the approval criteria or that the conditions of approval need to be amended, the Commission will act immediately to revise or withdraw the approval.” (Photo: Freepik)