Commission rejects GMO ban in Upper Austria
On 2 September the European Commission announced that it had rejected a request from Upper Austria to establish a three year ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the region. The regional government argued that the ban was necessary in order to protect organic and traditional agricultural production, as well as safeguard plant and animal genetic resources from contamination by GMOs. The Commission said that it reached its decision on the basis of consultations with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). EFSA's scientific committee concluded in July that no new scientific evidence had emerged to support a ban, and that the government of Upper Austria had failed to prove the existence of a problem specific to the region needed to justify such an approach. Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström said: 'We have analysed the Austrian measures in great detail, and, legally speaking, this seems a clear cut case.' 'I have, of course, full respect for the concerns of the Austrian authorities for the protection of the environment and human health, and have no problem to recognise that coexistence is an important issue to be addressed. However, I would like to point out that these are common concerns, shared by many regions across Europe, for which it is possible to find a viable response within the existing legal framework.' A spokesperson from the biotechnology unit at the Austrian Federal Ministry of Health told CORDIS News that Austrians were disappointed by Commission's ruling: 'The public is understandably very upset with the decision, as 90 per cent of them are opposed to the use of GM technology in agriculture.' However, the same official did admit that, from a legal standpoint, trying to establish a region wide ban on GMOs was 'probably not the best way to approach the issue.'
Countries
Austria