Glyphosate

Glyphosate: ANSES launches a comparative assessment with the available alternatives

Following the five-year re-approval of this active substance at European level in December 2017, ANSES is reassessing marketing authorisations for products containing glyphosate. For products for which an application for authorisation or re-authorisation has been submitted, the Agency will carry out a comparative assessment with the available alternatives. For each glyphosate-based product, all uses for which there is an alternative that meets the substitution criteria will therefore be prohibited. The Agency has also just notified manufacturers of the expiration of marketing authorisations for 132 preparations for which no renewal applications have been submitted.

One hundred and ninety glyphosate-based products currently have marketing authorisation (MA) or a parallel trade permit in France. Following the re-approval of the active substance at European level in December 2017, 58 renewal applications and 11 new MA applications were submitted to ANSES.

The Agency has just begun assessing these applications on the basis of a comparative assessment of the products.

Drawing on the information provided to it, especially by INRA, on the alternatives that are available and in common use in France, ANSES will compare glyphosate-based products with the non-chemical prevention or control methods available for each use. For each glyphosate-based product, all uses for which there is an alternative that meets the substitution criteria will therefore be prohibited.

The Agency has also just notified manufacturers of the expiration of validity on 15 December 2018 of 132 MAs for which no renewal applications have been submitted. Products already held by professionals must be used by 15 June 2019 at the latest.

In addition, as with all plant protection products (excluding biocontrol and low-risk products or those authorised in organic agriculture), the use of glyphosate-based products will be prohibited as of 1 January 2019 for all non-professional purposes, in particular for amateur gardeners, under Act no. 2014-110 of 6 February 2014 aimed at better regulating the use of plant protection products in France (known as the Labbé Act) [1].

The assessment of the current ongoing applications for marketing authorisation and re-authorisation will be finalised before 31 December 2020, within the three-year period announced by the Government.

As a reminder, in July 2016, ANSES had already withdrawn from the market 126 preparations combining the active substance glyphosate with the co-formulant POE-tallowamine.


[1] Act no. 2014-110 of 6 February 2014 aimed at better regulating the use of plant protection products in France (1)as amended by Article 68 of Act no. 2015-992 of 17 August 2015 on energy transition for green growth and Act no. 2017-348 of 20 March 2017 on the fight against monopolisation of agricultural land and the development of biocontrol, known as the Potier Act.