STRASBOURG (dpa-AFX) - The EU Commission wants plant protection products such as glyphosate to be approved for use in the EU for an indefinite period in the future. According to a proposal by the authority, the regular re-approvals for active substances that have been required up to now are to be abolished. The most dangerous substances are to be excluded from this.
The Commission wants renewals and targeted re-evaluations to be carried out when there are scientific reasons for doing so.
Until now, the approval of an active substance in the EU has only been granted for a limited period of up to 15 years and must then be re-evaluated. Without successful renewal, the approval expires.
One well-known example is the controversial pesticide glyphosate, which the EU Commission does not consider dangerous. Glyphosate is a so-called total herbicide that damages almost all green plants. It has been used since the mid-1970s, primarily under the trade name "Roundup," and is now contained in numerous plant protection products from various manufacturers.
The EU recently extended the approval for glyphosate until the end of 2033. In some member states, including Germany, its use in home and allotment gardens and on land intended for public use is prohibited or severely restricted.
The EU member states and the European Parliament must now discuss the proposal./rdz/DP/nas
