RAC: No change to glyphosate classification

The EU’s Risk Assessment Committee has assessed glyphosate’s hazardous properties against criteria in the Classification, Labelling & Packaging Regulation and concluded that its classification should not be changed. This is consistent with the proposal of the four member states currently assessing the substance and RAC’s own 2017 opinion.

Glyphosate thus remains classified as a substance that causes serious eye damage and is toxic to aquatic life, with long-lasting effects. However, RAC found that the available scientific evidence did not meet the criteria to classify it for specific target organ toxicity, or as a carcinogenic, mutagenic or reprotoxic substance.

The adopted opinion will be published on ECHA’s website and sent to the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) by mid-August. EFSA will carry out its risk assessment of glyphosate, which is expected to be ready in July 2023. The EC will then analyse EFSA’s conclusions and the report by the four member states, then put forward a renewal report and a draft regulation to member states on whether or not the approval of glyphosate can be renewed.