Markets and Trade
AreaEuropean Union
Commodity GroupOilseeds, oils and meals
CommodityHerbicide \'Glyphosate\'
Date01/11/2017
Policy CategoryOther
Policy InstrumentPest control measures & regulations
DescriptionAllowed continued use of the controversial herbicide for an abbreviated period of five years, so as not to disrupt trade in grains and oilseeds.
NotesAfter a lengthy debate over potential cancer-causing risks of glyphosate, the European Union extended its authorization for the herbicide for an abbreviated period of five years (see also MPPU Oct.’17). Non-renewal of the license, which was scheduled to expire on 15 December 2017, could have led to disruptions in global grain trade. France, which voted against the renewal, announced that it would draw up a plan for phasing out the herbicide’s use on its territory over the next three years.