Commission give the green light to GM crop
The European Commission has approved the import and marketing of a type of genetically modified (GM) sweetcorn, known as BT11, for human consumption, thus ending a six year de facto moratorium on GM products. 'GM sweetcorn has been subject to the most rigorous pre-marketing assessment in the world. It has been scientifically assessed as being as safe as any conventional maize. Food safety is therefore not an issue, it is a question of consumer choice,' said David Byrne, EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. 'The new EU rules on GMOs require clear labelling and traceability. Labelling provides consumers with the information they need to make up their own mind. They are therefore free to choose what they want to buy. The Commission is acting responsibly based on stringent and clear legislation,' he added. 'This decision is valid for ten years and addressed to the company Syngenta. Any imports of the canned vegetable will have to show clearly on the labelling that the corn has been harvested from a genetically modified plant,' said a Commission statement. The genetically modified corn will only be imported, not grown, in Europe. An application for cultivation is, however, pending. In January, the Commission approved the BT11 sweetcorn, and Member States were given until the end of April to raise objections. As no national government came forward to oppose the authorisation, the crop received automatic clearance from the Commission. It is the first GM food approval since April 1998. The EU has been under pressure from the United States and other major agricultural exporters, who have been arguing that the de facto ban was unscientific and therefore illegal under international trade rules. US officials say they will press ahead with their complaint at the World Trade Organisation despite the EU decision. In a parallel development, the biotech industry has begun to reduce investment, particularly in Europe, where the majority of consumers do not want to eat genetically modified foods. On 10 May, the US giant Monsanto shelved plans to launch the first ever GMO wheat due to a lack of market demand. A month earlier, Germany's Bayer Cropscience gave up attempts to grow GM corn commercially in the UK. The European Greens warned Commission President Romano Prodi on 18 May that lifting the moratorium when several countries continue to oppose it 'might be seen as an abuse of power.' What remains to be seen now, is whether the EU will give a green light to growing GM crops.