The NFU has welcomed the announcement that the active substance glyphosate has been re-authorised for an 18-month period with no additional conditions of use placed on it.
The NFU continues to push for the expected 15-year authorisation of the world’s most widely use weed-killer on behalf of its farmer members.
NFU Vice President Guy Smith said: "After many delays to any re-authorisation of glyphosate we’re pleased to see a positive decision has been made for agriculture. It is a welcome endorsement from the Commission of science-based decision-making.
"We appreciate this 18-month period is well below the 15-year re-approval expected and politics has played its part in interfering with this; members can be assured that our goals have not changed.
"The approval of glyphosate offers an endorsement of the scientific scrutiny from EFSA, helping to maintain the competitiveness of agriculture, protecting the environment and allowing farmers to keep food safe and affordable.
"We also welcome the fact that no additional conditions of use have been placed on the use of glyphosate – something the NFU has been pushing for.
"Echoing Commissioner Andriukaitis, it is important to clarify that once an active substance is approved – or renewed at EU level – it is then up to Member States to authorise the final products put onto their respective markets.
"I’m keen to see a science based approach free of politics and immune to the scare mongering we have clearly seen on glyphosate."
'Sensible and responsible'
Conservative MEPs Anthea McIntyre (West Midlands) and Julie Girling (South West and Gibraltar) said the move to prevent the herbicide being removed from shelves from one day to the next was "sensible and responsible".
They were commenting after the Commission granted glyphosate a licence for a further 18 months - just hours before its EU approval expired.
Attempts to grant glyphosate a longer approval of several years from June 30 hit deadlock after the French Government lodged objections and other nations abstained.
Despite advice from the EU's own scientific experts that the weedkiller did not present any significant risk, some EU politicians mounted an organised opposition to renewed approval on the basis of an historic World Health Organisation report suggesting a possible link to cancer.
The Commission’s proposed extension will allow for further complementary studies to be carried out by the EU’s other scientific body - the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) - to determine whether glyphosate requires reclassification from a safety perspective.
Miss McIntyre and Mrs Girling today issued a joint statement saying: "Farmers will be hugely relieved that this important tool for protecting their crops is still available to them.
"We maintain that the EU should listen to the science and not be swayed by scaremongering.
"We hope that these further studies confirm that glyphosate is safe for use, so we can put this discussion to rest and farmers can get on with their work.
"A ban on glyphosate could have a huge impact on farming in the UK and across Europe, so any such decision should only be taken if there is compelling scientific evidence that such drastic action is absolutely necessary.
"While everyone's attention was on the referendum result, the clock was still ticking on glyphosate - so this stay of execution is sensible and responsible.
"It will allow us time to examine and further test the scientific evidence to come up with a sound decision further down the line."
