Glyphosate does not cause cancer: European Union chemical regulator

The European Chemical Agency's (ECHA) Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) said the chemical, a the main active ingredient in Monsanto's RoundUp herbicide, and many other generic variations, caused serious eye damage and "is toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects", and would remain classified as such.

"RAC concluded that the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify glyphosate as a carcinogen, as a mutagen (causing genetics effects) or as toxic for reproduction," the agency said in a statement release on Wednesday night, Australia time.

The finding come after the EU's food safety regulator made a similar finding in 2015.

In the same year, the World Health Organisation's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) declared it was "probably carcinogenic".

European farmers feared losing the ability to use glyphosate herbicides, after European lawmakers nearly implemented a ban on its use.

Greenpeace backed the ban, and in a statement the organisation's EU accused the ECHA of sweeping "all evidence that glyphosate causes cancer under the carpet."

Late last year, The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) approved an application for grain growers to use glyphosate late on their feed or food grade barley crops, despite concern about trade implications from some sections of the grain and livestock industries.

In response to the ECHA's decision, German toxicologist, Professor Jan Hengstler from TU Dortmund said the conclusion was "scientifically justified".

"Both the available long-term studies in rats and mice as well as epidemiological data do not justify the conclusion that glyphosate is carcinogenic or mutagenic.

"Under current conditions of use of glyphosate there is no increased cancer risk for humans."

Imperial College London's professor of biochemical pharmacology, Professor Alan Boobis said the work was vital in forming good policy.

"They have concluded that the totality of the evidence is that glyphosate should not be considered a human carcinogen.

"It is important that such objective, independent and comprehensive assessments are available to help policy makers in reaching evidence-based decisions."

How does the EU regulate glyphosate?
The EU must approve the regulation of 'active substances' in pesticides, but individual member states can decide whether they make it onto the market.

Approval of an active substance only lasts for 15 years, and in July last year the European Commission (responsible for implementing decisions)gave the approval 18 month extension while the ECHA completed its review.

In a video statement the RAC chair Tim Bowman said there was a full consensus on the result from the members of the committee on the ECHA report, and there were no minority positions.

With respect to the licensing of glyphosate in the EU, the ECHA's director of risk assessment Jack de Bruijn said from here, the ECHA would finalise its opinion, and then submit that to the European Commission.

"They'll take that opinion further in the final decision-making, on whether to continue the approval of the use of glyphosate as an active substance in pesticides or products.

"So this finding does not have a direct impact, it's up to the Commission."