Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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236. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his views on the possible withdrawal of approval for glyphosate by the European Union; if he supported this in the European Union Council of Agriculture Ministers; if the decision taken by the EU was in line with the position adopted by Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18922/16]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The initial Commission proposals for the approval of glyphosate were discussed by Member State representatives at meetings of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on a number of occasions but a vote was not taken. Following a series of further EU Commission proposals and discussions with Member States that did not achieve a qualified majority, it remained open to the Commission to adopt its own proposal, therefore extending the current approval of glyphosate until the Committee for Risk Assessment of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has completed its work in assessing its effects.

Accordingly, the European Commission adopted on 29 June a maximum 18-month extension - from 1 July 2016 - to the license for glyphosate to allow ECHA to complete its assessment.

Ireland has supported the Commission proposals for the renewal of approval of glyphosate.