Biotechnology debate heats up
A European Parliament debate on biotechnology attended by Innovation and Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen produced strong feelings both for and against supporting the industry. The debate focused on a report by Scottish MEP John Purvis, which calls for the Commission to take action against obstructions by national governments to the authorisation of GM products. Many of those supporting Mr Purvis' report highlighted the economic benefits to supporting the biotechnology industry. Finnish MEP Mikko Pesälä, speaking on behalf of the Parliament's Agriculture Committee, stressed the importance of competition. Peter Liese (Germany) also welcomed the report, and noted that biotechnology has 'great potential'. The 'de facto moratorium' on GM plant introductions and trials is particularly damaging to SMEs, he stressed. Glyn Ford (UK) argued that the biotechnology industry offers many job opportunities and urged more investment. Dutch MEP Elly Plooij-van Gorsel argued that biotechnology will be a crucial technology in the 21st century. 'We need a B-Europe,' she said. Instead of GMOs, she prefers to speak of 'GEMs' or 'genetically enhanced materials,' she added. Most MEPs arguing for further developments in biotechnology did however recognise the need for ethical considerations to be taken into account, and many highlighted the need for monitoring or a regulatory system. Arguing against the report was Irish MEP Nuala Ahern, who described it as 'unbalanced and unashamedly biased'. She maintained that it does not pay sufficient attention to ethics, public health or environmental issues, concentrating instead on the market. She described the report as an 'extraordinary and interventionist proposal'. The report was also questioned by Dutch MEP Bastiaan Belder, who considered the report to be 'excessively optimistic'. He queried whether developing countries would really profit from the biotechnology industry. Concluding the debate, Commissioner Erkki Liikanen claimed that he supports the basic line of Mr Purvis' report, as he too wishes to develop a competitive and knowledge-based economy. Whilst emphasising the potential benefits in terms of economic growth and employment that the biotechnology industry has to offer, Mr Liikanen would however also like to see a broad discussion on the ethical dimension. The European Commission is currently completing a study on the biotechnology industry, the results of which will be available later in the spring. Mr Liikanen also mentioned that the Commission is looking to write a broad policy paper setting up a strategic vision for life sciences and biotechnology to the year 2010 by the end of the year.