The EU has deferred a decision on whether to extend the approval of glyphosate, a widely used weedkiller ingredient, amid concerns that it might cause cancer. The move to extend glyphosate's permit had provoked disagreement among member states, and had triggered a legal complaint from civil society organisations, which claimed that EU advisory bodies had ignored evidence that the substance is a known carcinogen.
Regulators from the 28 EU members states, in addition to the European Commission, met over two days to decide the issue, but failed to find a decisive majority to either approve or reject re-approval.
According to the online news agency Euractiv, the deadline for a decision on possible re-authorisation is the end of June.
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