Pro-transparency organisation Corporate Europe Observatory has claimed that key scientific evidence was withheld as a ‘trade secret’ in European watchdog EFSA’s risk assessment of glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, which has been the subject of intense debate in recent months after the World Health Organisation’s cancer research arm (IARC) classified it as ‘probably carcinogenic’ to humans.

The European agency concluded that glyphosate is not a likely carcinogen in its assessment in November 2015. EFSA’s decision will help influence EU officials who will decide whether to renew the license for glyphosate later this year.

Pesticide manufacturers welcomed EFSA’s decision in November, claiming that “Numerous health assessments conducted by public authorities on glyphosate over the past 40 years… have all concluded that, when used correctly, [glyphosate] poses no meaningful risk to human health.”

However, on Monday Corporate Europe Observatory added to concern that the same information was not made available to the two scientific bodies. Although initially critics claimed EFSA had a narrower mandate in its assessment of the controversial herbicide (EFSA looked at the active ingredient alone, not as part of a formulated product), the transparency group said three industry-sponsored carcinogenicity studies conducted on mice were not made available to IARC, “while EFSA insists they played an important role in informing its decision.”

IARC scientists have reportedly only been able to access summaries of the studies, and not the original data. Corporate Europe Observatory is asking that evidence used by EFSA to reach its conclusions be made public and has lobbied the Agency to release the three studies, as part of a broader drive for transparency in regulatory assessments. EFSA, however, maintains the documents contain trade secrets, which could put the companies who backed the research at a commercial disadvantage.

Though its patent has expired, meaning generic glysophate products are available, Monsanto, who originally manufactured glysophate and sold it as Roundup made it the cornerstone of the company’s business.  

Corporate Europe Observatory has questioned EFSA’s refusal to disclose documents, arguing that it is doubtful that everything contained in a study could constitute a trade secret, and pointing out that most manufacturers of the off-patent herbicide belong to the Glyphosate Task Force which supplied the three studies to EFSA. The group is appealing against EFSA’s refusal.  

Meanwhile, French state research agency ANSES this month published another scientific opinion, finding that glyphosate could be carcinogenic. The French government has clashed with pesticide manufacturers over the past year, introducing restrictions on the sale of glyphosate and calling for products containing the herbicide and certain adjuvants (tallow amine) to be banned over possible health risks earlier this month.  

On Thursday, an EFSA spokesperson confirmed that the Authority had received an appeal from CEO, and said EFSA will "process [the appeal] in accordance with the relevant legislation."

More information on the matter is available from Corporate Europe Observatory here.