On November 27, 2017, the European Commission's Appeal Committee, a group of
representatives of European Union (EU) Member States, voted for the renewal
of the approval of glyphosate for five years. Eighteen member States
representing 65.71 percenf of the EU population voted in favor of the
renewal. Nine member States voted against the move, and 1 abstained.

In 2016, the 15-year license for glyphosate use in the EU expired, and it
was given an 18-month extension which is set to expire on December 15, 2017.
The current renewal shall enter into force on the day following its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and shall apply
from December 16, 2017. The regulation is binding in its entirety and
directly applicable in all Member States.

Jonathan Storkey, Plant Ecologist and Leader of Achieving Sustainable
Agricultural Systems (ASSIST), a strategic program of Rothamsted Research in
the UK said, "I believe the renewal of the approval of glyphosate is to be
cautiously welcomed and is the right decision. In terms of direct toxicity
on non-target organisms, it is relatively benign, and it is an important
mainstay of weed control. Some weed species that have evolved resistance to
other herbicides would become extremely difficult to control without
glyphosate and it is particularly useful in cropping systems that minimize
soil disturbance which itself brings environmental benefits."

[ec.europa.eu]