Ingredient Index

Is Acetochlor banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes. Acetochlor, a corn herbicide, was never approved in the EU and was formally kept off the market in 2011 over groundwater and cancer concerns. It is one of the most-used herbicides on US corn.

CAS: 34256-82-1 Also seen as: Acetochlor, Harness, Surpass

What the EU does

Not approved. Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1372/2011 decided not to approve acetochlor, so it cannot be used in EU plant protection products. The review found concerns including likely groundwater contamination above the regulatory limit and unresolved questions about carcinogenicity.

That places acetochlor in the group of widely used US farm chemicals that simply never cleared the EU's approval bar, which in the European system functions as a ban: no approval, no use.

Citation Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 1372/2011 (non-approval of acetochlor); Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009

What the US does

Registered and heavily used. Acetochlor is a chloroacetanilide herbicide registered by the EPA and applied on a large share of US corn acreage, sold under names such as Harness and Surpass. It controls grasses and some broadleaf weeds before they emerge.

The EPA has kept acetochlor under review and moved in 2024 and 2025 to tighten or cancel some uses, but it remains legal and in wide agricultural use, in contrast to its complete absence from EU fields.

Citation US EPA registered (Harness, Surpass); EPA acetochlor registration review (2024-2025 actions); 40 CFR 180.470

Products that commonly contain it

Acetochlor is relevant mainly as:

A pre-emergence herbicide on US corn and some other field crops
A possible trace in water near heavily treated agricultural areas
A residue consideration on some imported commodities

What to look for on a label

Acetochlor is a field herbicide, not a food-label ingredient:

Choosing organic grain products avoids synthetic herbicide treatment
Water utilities in corn regions monitor for chloroacetanilide herbicides
In the EU, it is simply not an approved input

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Frequently asked questions

Is acetochlor banned in Europe?

Yes, in effect. It was never approved and was kept off the market by Regulation (EU) No 1372/2011, so it cannot be used on EU crops.

Why was it not approved?

The EU review cited likely groundwater contamination above the regulatory limit and unresolved carcinogenicity questions.

Is it used in the US?

Yes, heavily, as a corn herbicide sold under names like Harness and Surpass, though the EPA has been tightening some uses.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed October 1, 2026 · How we assign statuses