Dec 8, 2003

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GMO authorisations: battle over moratorium continues

Approval for Bt11 maize delayed again

(8 December 2003) The EU’s first authorisation since 1998 of a food product made from genetically modified crops is still pending. At the Food Chain Standing Committee vote on Monday, Member States were once again unable to achieve a qualified majority.

On the agenda was the European Commission’s proposal to approve canned sweetcorn made from Bt11 sweet maize. If successful, the authorisation would have effectively lifted the EU’s de facto moratorium on GM crops, in place since 1998.

The EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, David Byrne , warns against moving away from using scientific risk assessment as the basis for the approval process. Decisions should not be based solely on the majority of consumers and their perception of the risk involved. At a conference in Brussels he said that all scientific tests showed that genetically modified food products were just as safe as conventional ones.

The German Minister for Consumer Protection, Renate Künast, on the other hand, feels that not all safety concerns have been removed. “We still need a lot more experience with this.”

However, just as in its initial attempt in November, the Commission was unable to secure a qualified majority from the Member States. At the meeting of the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, Austria, Luxembourg, Greece, Denmark, France and Portugal voted against the approval of Bt11 maize, while Spain, Ireland, the UK, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland voted in favour, and Germany, Italy and Belgium abstained. The moratorium will continue for now – although its end would now appear to be just a matter of time.

The European ministers of agriculture now have three months to make a decision for or against authorisation. If they too fail to achieve a qualified majority the European Commission can make the final decision. The Commission has emphasised repeatedly that it can see no safety concerns to justify denying approval of Bt11 maize. Its view is backed by several expert panels, who concluded that Bt11 maize products are just as safe as comparable conventional products.

The German authority responsible, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, also refers to the comprehensive studies carried out to ensure the maize is safe for human consumption. In an interview with the German press agency dpa, a member of the Institute said: “The plants have been tested for toxic and allergenic effects as well as for any unintended changes in their composition.”