Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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62. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding attempts by the Government at EU level to ensure the reauthorising of glyphosate for Irish farmers. [47097/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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The European Commission extended the approval of glyphosate for a limited interim period in June 2016 to allow for the completion of an assessment by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The extension followed a comprehensive review by the European Food Safety Authority. This review, which included detailed consideration of a report produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation, concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans and can be used safely without putting consumers or users at risk.

The Risk Assessment Committee concluded in March 2017, in an opinion adopted with the full support of all members, that glyphosate does not warrant classification as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction. This means that legally glyphosate does not meet any of the substance non-approval criteria specified in Regulation 1107/2009. A final decision on renewing the approval of glyphosate is due to be taken by 15 December 2017.

Based on the conclusions of the risk and hazard assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency the Commission prepared a first draft of a proposal for renewal of the approval of glyphosate for a 10-year period with various conditions of use attached, instead of the normal 15-year approval period.  The proposal was discussed by Member State representatives at the technical experts standing committee meeting in July 2017 and again in early October.

My Department indicated support for the Commission proposal for a 10 year approval period tabled at these meetings. However, as there was insufficient support for the Commission proposal, no formal vote was taken.  There followed a brief discussion which largely concentrated on the length of the approval period, but this discussion failed to yield a satisfactory compromise.

A further meeting of the standing committee is scheduled for tomorrow 9 November to consider a revised proposal to renew the approval of glyphosate for a 5 year period. 

In my view it is important that decisions such as this are made on the basis of the best scientific information that is available to us as policy makers. In this instance the latest scientific information available from assessments completed by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency supports the renewal of glyphosate and my Department has therefore supported Commission proposals in this regard.

Michael Harty (Clare, Independent)
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63. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding a product (details supplied) further to the decision by the European Parliament to back a full ban on glyphosate-based herbicides; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46936/17]

Michael Creed (Cork North West, Fine Gael)
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At the end of October the European Parliament approved a resolution, which is non-binding, against renewing the approval of glyphosate for 10 years and calling for further restrictions on the substance from 2018 and an outright ban in 2022. This resolution does not impact on existing authorisations of products that contain glyphosate. 

The process that has been followed to date with regard to the renewal of the approval of glyphosate involved the European Commission extending the approval of glyphosate for a limited interim period in June 2016 to allow for the completion of an assessment by the Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). The extension followed a comprehensive review by the European Food Safety Authority. This review, which included detailed consideration of a report produced by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organisation, concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans and can be used safely without putting consumers or users at risk.

The Risk Assessment Committee concluded in March 2017, in an opinion adopted with the full support of all members, that glyphosate does not warrant classification as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction. This means that legally glyphosate does not meet any of the substance non-approval criteria specified in Regulation 1107/2009. A final decision on renewing the approval of glyphosate is due to be taken by 15 December 2017.

Based on the conclusions of the risk and hazard assessments conducted by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency the Commission prepared a first draft of a proposal for renewal of the approval of glyphosate for a 10-year period with various conditions of use attached, instead of the normal 15-year approval period.  The proposal was discussed by Member State representatives at the technical experts standing committee meeting in July 2017 and again at two meetings in October.

A further meeting of the technical experts standing committee is scheduled for tomorrow, 9 November to consider a revised proposal to renew the approval of glyphosate for a 5 year period. 

The continued authorisation of products containing glyphosate for use in Ireland after 2017 is dependent on the outcome of the current EU decision-making process. In my view it is important that decisions such as this are based on the best scientific information that is available to us as policy makers. In this instance the latest scientific information available from assessments completed by the European Food Safety Authority and the European Chemicals Agency supports the continued approval of glyphosate.