Brussels, 12/11/2015 (Agence Europe) - According to the European Food Safety Authority, glyphosate, a total herbicide banned in France and the Netherlands, is “probably not carcinogenic for human beings” (see EUROPE 11175). This statement was made by the EFSA in a scientific opinion published on Thursday 12 November, after assessment of a report from the International Cancer Research Centre (ICRC) published in July, which concluded the opposite, that glyphosate was probably a carcinogen for human beings. The EFSA scientific opinion generated an immediate reaction from GMOs such as Greenpeace and PAN Europe (Pesticide Action Network Europe), because it paves the way for a re-authorisation of this dangerous pesticide in the EU.
The European Commission defended itself by stating that at this stage, it needs to make an in-depth examination of the opinion and it has until June 2016 to take a decision in consultation with the member states, explained Enrico Brivio, a spokesman for Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella. PAN Europe says the EFSA's work is a copy and paste of the assessment made by the German agency, BFR, and the pesticide industry, compiled by the Taskforce on Glyphosate, which conceals and wrongly interprets tumour incidents arising from experimental studies. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)