European Commission refuses public access to glyphosate safety assessment

The European Commission has refused to make available the risk assessment report on glyphosate prepared for the European Food Safety Authority. Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup. The risk assessment will determine Glyphosate’s renewed authorization in the European Union. The European pesticide lobby is pressing Europe to follow the United States in increasing allowable glyphosate exposure levels.

In a letter to the German NGO Testbiotech of August 10, the Commission stated that the report is confidential and there is “no overriding public interest” in making it accessible. However, a report earlier this year from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans” – presumably a compelling public interest.

The Commission’s ongoing refusal to make available its risk assessment data violates a 2013 ruling by the European Court of Justice requiring public disclosure.