EU national GMO import bans proposal opposed

The recommendation opposing the draft law was approved by 47 members of the committee with three opposing it and five abstaining during the voting. It will be put to a plenary vote when members of the European Parliament (MEPs) convene for a plenary session in Strasbourg, Germany, on October 26-29.

"A clear majority in the committee does not want to jeopardize the internal market. For us, the existing legislation should remain in place, and member states should shoulder their responsibilities and take a decision together at EU level, instead of introducing national bans" said Environment Committee chair Giovanni La Via.

'Conflicts with transparency'

"This proposal conflicts with the principles of 'better regulation' and transparency which the new European Commission has taken on board. After we spent so many years getting rid of internal barriers, this proposal could fragment the internal market and lead to a return to border inspections, which we all worked hard to get rid of at the time", he added.

The European farmers' group Copa and agri-cooperatives' group Cogeca, meanwhile, have welcomed the environment committee's rejection of the EU Commission's proposal.

Copa-Cogeca Secretary-General Pekka Pesonen said, "This is a very welcome move. The Commission's proposal amounts to renationalisation and if it had gone through, competition would have been distorted in the internal market. It would also threaten livestock farmers' livelihoods who rely on imports of feed".

The draft law came after a new law granting national governments this same power to ban the cultivation of GM crops within their territories even if they may have been approved by the law-making body became effective in April.