To justify the postponement of the final scientific opinion on the re-evaluation of glyphosate by one year, the Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Bernhard Url, insisted on Tuesday 17 May on the ‘extraordinary’ character of this issue (see EUROPE 12950/14).
Bernhard Url was questioned by the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, particularly on the issue of pesticides.
Responding to several MEPs, including Clara Aguilera (S&D, Spain) and Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), on the new timetable for the glyphosate re-evaluation procedure, the EFSA Executive Director confirmed that the assessment should be completed by July 2023. However, glyphosate is currently approved for use in the EU until 15 December 2022, so the question arises of a possible one-year extension of the authorisation of glyphosate. It is up to the European Commission to respond in the first instance, via a possible proposal.
Mr Url assured that there was no “hidden agenda” behind the delay. The report from the four States in charge of the assessment is over 11,000 pages long. In addition, the results of the public consultation launched in the autumn (3,000 pages) provided “a lot of additional information”. “While the standard deadline for replying is 2 months, the four evaluating States have asked for at least 6 months”, which puts back the process.
The updated draft assessment report will be available in September 2022, followed by the peer review process between November and December 2022.
Afterwards, the Assessment Group on Glyphosate will have to respond to the peer review comments before the 27 Member States. “In spring 2023, EFSA will publish a final opinion, so by July 2023”, promised Bernhard Url. He highlighted “the problems of resources in Europe, both on the part of the Member States and EFSA”, in terms of assessing pesticides. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)