ECHA’s Committee for Risk Assessment (RAC) agrees to keep the current classification of glyphosate as causing serious eye damage and being toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects. The Committee concludes that the available scientific evidence does not meet the criteria for classifying glyphosate for specific target organ toxicity, or as a carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic substance.

The Committee evaluated the properties of glyphosate against criteria in the Classification, Labelling, and Packaging (CLP) regulation. Consideration was given to an extensive volume of scientific data and many hundreds of comments received during consultations. Harmonized classification and labeling focuses solely on the hazardous properties of the substance, i.e., its potential to cause harm. It does not assess human or environmental exposure to glyphosate. This will be part of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)’s peer review of the risk assessment.

The Committee’s opinion will be published on ECHA’s website and sent to EFSA by mid-August. EFSA is expected to finalize its risk assessment by July 2023.

The European Commission will analyze EFSA’s conclusions and the renewal assessment report prepared by Sweden, France, Hungary, and The Netherlands. The Commission will then put forward a renewal report and a draft regulation to the Member States on whether the approval of glyphosate can be renewed or not.

The RAC is made up of scientists nominated by the EU Member States and appointed by ECHA’s Management Board. The Committee includes observers from different EU organizations representing civil society, academia, and industry. Together, they are responsible for making scientific opinions that are then used by the European Commission and the EU Member States when deciding how chemical risks need to be controlled.

• European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), Helsinki, Finland