MEPs say no to release of antibiotic-resistant GMOs
Members of the European Parliament want to block the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) containing antibiotic resistant genes, even for research. The decision to call for an amendment to the current Directive on the deliberate release of GMOs came after a vote by members of the European Parliament's Committee on the Environment, public health and consumer policy. The risks associated with the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment were at the centre of the debate on 22 March, when MEPs expressed their concern that genetic material from GMOs might jump the species barrier and spread uncontrollably through the food chain, with potentially disastrous consequences. 'Gene transfers from GMOs to other species should be prevented under all circumstances', said David Bowe (PES, UK), rapporteur in this case. He personally advocated minimising the risk of genes transferring from one species to another by using differentiated growing distances or even special greenhouses for GM crops, depending on the chance of GMOs polluting the natural gene pool. But other MEPs raised their concern over GMOs containing genes resistant to antibiotics and voted in favour of the amendment to refuse authorisation for their deliberate release. Scientists often use these as 'markers' in the laboratory environment to track the progress of modified genes. These genes are not active in the plants themselves, but there is concern that bacteria might pick them up and activate them when the crop is fed to animals. However, on the same day MEPS voted against allowing deliberate release of GMOs containing antibiotic resistant genes, British scientists reported they had tried and failed to get various bacteria to take up such a gene from a commercial variety of GM maize. While this is seen as encouraging, the researchers warn that they still can't completely rule out the possibility of modified genes getting into the food chain. In addition, the MEPs' position does not completely mirror the Council's common position, which only envisaged taking such GMOs 'into particular consideration when carrying out an environmental risk assessment' and did not accept a similar amendment from Parliament's first reading. The Parliamentary committee has now adopted more than 30 amendments which will be tabled for a second reading under the codecision procedure at the European Parliament's part session in Strasbourg from 10 to 14 April. These amendments focus mainly on environmental liability; exports of GMOs outside of the EU; socio-economic costs and benefits and the Biosafety protocol.