John Brassil (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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181. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position on the safety of the use of a product (details supplied) as a weedkiller in view of the recent controversy in renewing its licence at European Union level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49711/17]

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

The RAC 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 has prepared draft proposals for renewal of the approval of glyphosate. These proposals have been discussed by Member State representatives at technical experts standing committee meetings but there has not been qualified majority support at these meetings for the draft renewal proposals that have been presented by the Commission. This process will now move to a further meeting of member states, called an ‘appeals committee’, later this month. This meeting will consider and vote on this proposal again at that time.

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.