France yesterday reaffirmed its opposition to plans by the European Commission to extend its approval for the weedkiller product glyphosate, the prime minister's office said.

"The European Commission has proposed renewing its approval for glyphosate for another 10 years. This is far too long, given the concerns that remain over this product, and France will vote against the proposal, as clearly laid out previously in July," Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in a statement.

Concerns over glyphosate's risk to human health have prompted investigations by US congressional committees and delayed a relicensing decision in the EU.

The European Commission, the EU executive, has proposed extending approval for glyphosate by 10 years after the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) said in a study in March it should not be classified as a cancer-causing substance.

In previous votes, France and Germany have abstained, leading the European Commission to extend the license by 18 months at the end of June 2016 to give the ECHA time to study the chemical further.

French farmers have decried the decision and said it would mean the end of the use of glyphosate.

Malta was the only EU member state to vote in favour of a total ban of the controversial chemical last year, with Environment Minister Jose Herrera saying it would be illegal to use from April of this year.

Dr Herrera's ministry subsequently changed tack and said a blanket ban on the chemical would only come into force if the EU as a whole opted to outlaw the weedkiller.