EU agency sees no “critical areas of concern” in the use of controversial chemical herbicide

By RAF CASERT
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s food safety agency says it “did not identify critical areas of concern” in the use of the controversial chemical herbicide glyphosate. The ruling was welcomed by companies seeking to extend the use of the chemical beyond December and harshly condemned by environmentalists who see it as a threat to nature and human health. Over the past decade, glyphosate, used in products like the weedkiller Roundup, has been at the heart of heated debate about whether it causes cancer and its possible disruptive effect on the environment. The EU’s executive commission and the member states must come to a full agreement on whether to extend the authorization of its use in the 27-nation bloc, partly based on Thursday’s advice.