March 21, 2011

EU cannot agree on GM crop decision

European farm ministers have not managed to agree on whether to give import approval to three genetically modified (GM) crops, meaning that the final decision will be made by the bloc's executive, according to diplomatic sources.

The ministers failed to reach a decision as to whether to endorse imports of an insect-resistant corn created by US biotech firm, Monsanto, and a herbicide-tolerant GM cotton created by Germany's Bayer.

They also did not agree on a third application, to update an existing EU endorsement for a pest- and herbicide-resistant corn developed by Dow to include its use as an animal feed additive.

All of the applications include the import and sale of GM products such as animal feed but not their growth in the EU. The three applications have each already been approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

EU ministers have never taken a decision either to reject or endorse a GM crop application for import or cultivation, with governments split most of the time along pro- and anti-GM lines. Europe has got itself into a problem on GM foods, with two crops authorised at the moment; a corn strain for animal feed and a potato for paper-making, but decisions on a growing list of other products are still in discussion.