European Commissioner for Agriculture Phil Hogan has said he is strongly in favour of the re-authorisation of glyphosate, based on scientific evidence.

Ahead of this week’s vote on the herbicide, which is the main ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup, he told the Irish Farmers Journal at the Irish Farmers Association’s (IFA) Brexit event that he will be supporting the re-authorisation of glyphosate.

“I will go on the basis of science to allow glyphosate to be used in agriculture or for urban people who want to use it in their gardens.

“In other words, good old-fashioned Roundup should be allowed to be used in the normal way.”

Listen to “EU Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan on glyphosate” on Spreaker.

Last month, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) said that the scientific evidence showed that glyphosate did not meet the criteria to classify it as a carcinogen, as a mutagen or as toxic for reproduction.

On Wednesday, European commissioners will decide on glyphosate’s re-authorisation and, following their decision, should it prove to be one of re-authorisation, a new proposal for re-authorisation will be drawn up and the EU will relaunch technical discussions with member states.

A decision on glyphosate re-approval has to be taken within six months of receipt of the ECHA’s opinion – by the end of 2017 at the latest.

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Listen: 'good old-fashioned Roundup should be used in normal way' - Phil Hogan

A decision will be made on glyphosate on Wednesday of this week by the European Commission.