April 27, 2007

Dupont submits new GM soybean seed for EU approval

E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Co Thursday (Apr 26) submitted its Optimum genetically modified soybean for European Union approval, risking to aggravate the deep divisions on agriculture biotechnology in the EU.

Dupont made the application through its Pioneer Hi-bred International subsidiary.

US regulators approved the soy product last November and Dupont wants EU regulators to improve it for import starting in early 2009.

"This is a significant step for Pioneer," said Alejandro MuNoz, vice president, European Operations, Pioneer Hi-Bred International. "Pioneer is pursuing EU approvals of all our biotech products."

Optimum is a proprietary herbicide-tolerance trait that DuPont plans to commercialise in corn, cotton and other crops. It is the first-ever agricultural trait developed through proprietary DuPont gene shuffling technology.

But GMOs are controversial in Europe, raising deep environmental fears. Just last week, EU biotech experts Thursday failed to reach a decision on three applications by US companies to sell genetically modified products in the union, underlining its continuing deep divisions on the issue.