Germany will ban the use of the controversial weedkiller glyphosate – the subject of billion-dollar U.S. lawsuits over claims it causes incurable diseases – from the end of 2023 and limit its use before then, a report from Reuters citing the local Environment Ministry has revealed.

Germany’s move comes after Austria’s lower house of parliament in July passed a bill banning all uses of glyphosate and after some 20 French mayors, last month banned it from their municipalities, defying the government.

According to the Reuters report, Bayer commented on Germany’s decision by saying that such a ban would ignore the overwhelming scientific assessments of component authorities around the world that have determined for more than 40 years that glyphosate can be used safely.

Glyphosate is cleared for use in the European Union until December 2020. Glyphosate-based herbicides are the most commonly applied weed control products in the world.

The German government said it would systematically reduce the use of herbicides containing glyphosate from 2020. The weedkiller was developed by Monsanto under the brand Roundup. It is now off-patent and marketed worldwide by dozens of other chemical groups including Dow Agroscience and Germany’s BASF.

Concerns about its safety emerged when a World Health Organization agency concluded in 2015 that it probably causes cancer. However, Bayer – the company which acquired Monsanto – disagrees saying that studies and regulators have deemed glyphosate and Roundup safe for human use.