No maladministration by ECHA in handling a citizen’s concern on glyphosate

ECHA/NR/18/02

The European Ombudsman has concluded that the Agency adequately communicated with a citizen in handling a complaint regarding its opinion on glyphosate.

Helsinki, 19 January 2018 - The Ombudsman looked into ECHA’s procedure for assessing the risks of glyphosate according to the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation. The complaint was lodged by a citizen on the grounds that ECHA did not consider certain scientific studies in its assessment.

Based on the available documentation and without the need to consult ECHA, the Ombudsman found that ECHA had adequately communicated with the complainant and therefore complied with its duty to provide information. In addition, ECHA had given all citizens the possibility to contribute to EU decision making through a public consultation.

The Ombudsman focused solely on the administrative aspects of the process. Examining the merits of scientific evaluations is not within the mandate of the Ombudsman’s Office.