#StopGlyphosate

The Great Glyphosate Court Case

We challenge the decision by the EU Commission to re-authorise glyphosate for another 10 years. The EU Member States did not agree and in the end only coutries representing 42% of the EU citizens supported the renewal. The Commission used their mandate to decide and give in to the interests of the chemical industry and the intensive farming lobby. They didn't listen to the plethora of independent science, pointing at harm. So the Commission violated the EU Pesticide Law that clearly states that health and environment prevail over profit. In case of serious doubt, the precautionary principle has to be invoked. So we challenge this decision in the EU Court. We do this on behalf of our network and in special cooperation with our members Générations Futures, Client Earth, Global 2000 and PAN Germany and Netherlands.

Support us to win this court case!

Glyphosate is the world's most used weedkiller. The widespread use causes great harm to biodiversity and health. It seriously pollutes water and negatively impacts soil health. Especially the use to kill a crop before harvesting the grain, the use to kill and reseed grassland in dairy farming and the use in cities are contested.  It is omnipresent and the substance and its breakdown products can be detected in the blood and urine of most humans. Hundreds of studies by independent scientists show that it is toxic in many ways: it disturbs our gut microbiome, it can damage genes and lead to cancer, it is toxic to the liver and kidney and it is a suspected neurotoxic, linked to Parkinsons disease.

In July 2023 the European Food Safety Authority EFSA published a summary of their advice. They see no critical areas of concern but do see many negative effects that they don't address because of a lack of data or missing guidelines. Now the EU Commission will come with a proposal and the Member States will vote. Already in 2017 over 1 million Europeans signed a citizens initiative to demand a ban. The authorisation procedure is highly contested, because only studies by the producers are seriously taken into account by the authorities and most independent studies are ignored. A major scandal developed fin 2016 when it was proven that the safety assessment by the German government institute was ghost written by Bayer Monsanto. In the end the EU decided in 2017 to prolong authorisation for 5 years.

Beneath the orange fields: impact of glyphosate on soil organisms

Weed management: alternatives to glyphosate

Yes, glyphosate is harmful to bees

A summary of important events:

Press Release: NGOs initiate legal challenge against EU glyphosate re-approval Read more>>

Support us: The Great Glyphosate Court Case

Press Release: NGOs Challenge Glyphosate Re-approval in EU Court Read more>>

Blog: Almost 300 scientists - 100+ profs - call on the government in Belgium and the Netherlands to vote no to glyphosate Read more>>

Briefing: Beneath the orange fields: Impact of Glyphosate on soil organisms Read more>>

Press Release:Glyphosate-based herbicides linked to leukemia at a young age, in major new research Read more>>

Press Release: EU Member States do not agree on glyphosate renewal Read more>>

Letter: Urgent call to take a stand for human health and the environment: Say 'No' to 10 more years of glyphosate Read more>>

Blog: Ban endocrine disruptors, glyphosate and more: PAN Europe’s letter to SCoPAFF Read more>>

Press Release: Criminal Complaint Against Bayer for Concealing Glyphosate Risks to Pregnant Women Read more>>

Blog: Glyphosate scandal: EU agencies ECHA and EFSA ignore toxic effects of glyphosate highlighted by French national medical research institute Read more>>

Conference Report: Expert meeting shows that glyphosate is not safe for health and environment Read more>>

Press Release: Glyphosate in the EU up to 2034? Danger to health and environment and violation of citizens will Read more>>

Press Release: European citizens support an EU ban of glyphosate Read more>>

Letter: Stop the reapproval of glyphosate due to major deficiencies in carcinogenicity assessment Read more>>

Press Release: EU glyphosate evaluation fails to acknowledge key mechanism that can lead to cancer Read more>>

Press Release: Glyphosate pollution threatens European surface waters: Ban glyphosate to protect water quality and aquatic ecosystems Read more>>

Report: Glyphosate is polluting our waters all across Europe Read more>>

Press Release: Leaked: EU Commission plans to swiftly reapprove glyphosate to avoid scientific and public debate Read more>>

PAN Europe's letter to the ScoPAFF members: Oppose to the fast-track renewal of glyphosate and prioritise the protection of human health and the environment Read more>>

PAN Europe's letter to executive director of EFSA: Concerns: EFSA main findings on glyphosate Read more>>

Press Release: Outrage as EFSA again ‘greenlights’ glyphosate despite data gaps and outstanding issues Read more>>

Blog: Belgian organisations call for a glyphosate ban Read more>>

Blog: France court bans two glyphosate-based pesticides Read more>>

Blog: The arguments to ban glyphosate pile up Read more>>

Briefing: Glyphosate based herbicides and their impact on bees' health Read more>>

Press release: No obstacles to ban glyphosate - New report shows that alternatives exist for all uses Read more>>

Letter: Take the side of European people and ban glyphosate Read more>> & Letter by EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides re. NGOs letter on glyphosate Read more>>

Press release: Prolonging EU Glyphosate authorisation for an extra year: very bad news for nature and health Read more>>

Press release: Glyphosate ECHA classification: denial of science and disrespect of EU law Read more>>

Press release: EFSA announces it postpones its conclusions on glyphosate by one year: Citizens' health and the environment at risk! Read more>>

European Citizens’ Initiative: In 2017 PAN Europe, together with other environmental and health organisations launched a succesful ECI to ban Glyphosate Read more>>

Video: The EU is about to re-authorise Glyphosate for another 10 years despite significant evidence of its danger. How could this be?

© Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe), Rue de la Pacification 67, 1000, Brussels, Belgium, Tel. +32 2 318 62 55

Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN Europe) gratefully acknowledges the financial support from the European Union, European Commission, DG Environment, LIFE programme. Sole responsibility for this publication lies with the authors and the funders are not responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained herein.