September 16, 2009
EU farm chief wants biotech regulations by year-end
The EU's farm chief has urged member states to draw up rules by the end of 2009 to allow resumption of soy imports from the US, which were held up for months due to GMO concerns.
While the EU has approved some GM varieties, it still does not permit other GMOs, even in minute amounts, until approval has been passed.
Europe's agriculture commissioner Marianne Fischer Boel told EU agriculture ministers that a proposal on a maximum level for GMO residues in imports should be ready before year-end.
She said it is because Europe requires much soy imports for its pig and meat production.
The EU's three main suppliers of soy - the US, Argentina and Brazil - grow mainly GM varieties, making it increasingly difficult for the bloc to source non-GM soy for animal feed production.
More than 200,000 tonnes of US soy were rejected at EU ports recently after traces of unapproved GM corn varieties were discovered in them. The blockage raised fears in the EU feed industry that it would be unable to buy millions of tonnes of US soy as planned unless the zero-tolerance policy is changed.
The Commission has said it will find a technical solution to what is known as "low-level presence" of GMO residues.
Fischer Boel said the Commission has received positive feedback from the European Food Safety Authority on GM corn variety MON 88017, and hopes that member states would quickly approve it.
Still, diplomats do not expect anything concrete until a new team of European Commissioners start work in early 2010.
