Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002611/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Christophe Clergeau (S&D), Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Estelle Ceulemans (S&D), Romana Jerković (S&D), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), Eero Heinäluoma (S&D), Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D), André Rodrigues (S&D), Nora Mebarek (S&D), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Jutta Paulus (Verts/ALE), Marie Toussaint (Verts/ALE), Majdouline Sbai (Verts/ALE), Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE), Christel Schaldemose (S&D), Rasmus Nordqvist (Verts/ALE), Villy Søvndal (Verts/ALE), Aurore Lalucq (S&D), Emil Radev (PPE), Jean-Marc Germain (S&D), Anja Hazekamp (The Left), Marta Temido (S&D), Manon Aubry (The Left), Günther Sidl (S&D), Maria Noichl (S&D), Elisabeth Grossmann (S&D), Jussi Saramo (The Left), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Katarína Roth Neveďalová (NI), Martin Häusling (Verts/ALE), Sara Matthieu (Verts/ALE)
In 2023, the Commission renewed the approval of the active substance glyphosate for use in plant protection products for a period of 10 years. This followed the conclusion by the ECHA that glyphosate does not meet the criteria to be classified as carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction, and an assessment by the EFSA, which did not identify any critical areas of concern. This was despite ongoing concerns and warnings from the scientific community about glyphosate’s toxicity, the 2015 classification by the IARC of glyphosate as a ‘probable carcinogen’, and the EFSA’s acknowledgement of a ‘high’ long-term toxicity risk to mammals, the developmental neurotoxic potential of glyphosate formulations, and the risk to biodiversity and impact on the microbiome. Moreover, the representative formulation has not been tested in any long-term toxicity or carcinogenicity study.
On 10 June 2025, a new peer-reviewed study[1] by the Ramazzini Institute was published and confirmed the carcinogenic effects of long-term exposure from prenatal life to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides, including the European representative formulation, at levels considered ‘safe’ (ADI to NOAEL; 0.5 to 50 mg/kg exposure).
In the light of this new scientific evidence, will the Commission:
- 1.task the EFSA and the ECHA with a review of their risk assessments of glyphosate?
- 2.launch a review of approval procedure under Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 1107/2009?
Submitted: 27.6.2025
- [1] https://ehjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12940-025-01187-2.