WTO panel rules EU 'moratorium' on GMOs was illegal The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled on 7 February that the EU's so-called de facto moratorium on genetically modified products, effective between June 1999 and August 2003, was illegal. A WTO panel was set up to look at the issue after the US, Canada and Argentina called... The World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled on 7 February that the EU's so-called de facto moratorium on genetically modified products, effective between June 1999 and August 2003, was illegal. A WTO panel was set up to look at the issue after the US, Canada and Argentina called for a settlement to the dispute in May 2003. These countries, which jointly cultivate 80 per cent of the world's genetically modified organisms (GMOs), claimed that the moratorium had no scientific basis, and led to 'undue delays' in the approval of safe products. The European Commission claims there has never been a ban on safe GMOs in the EU, and points to more than 30 GM food and feed products that have been approved for marketing, some as recently as January 2006. A statement released by the Commission ahead of the ruling said: 'The claim that there is a moratorium on approval of GM products in Europe is self-evidently untrue.' Supporters of the case against the EU argue that the 'small numbers of approvals' since the start of the dispute proceedings constitute no indication that the moratorium has ended, and complain that the vast majority of products remain stalled at various stages of the approval process. The Commission, however, remains unapologetic: 'The EU approval process may appear to be lengthy for some countries which adopt a more lenient approach towards food and environmental safety issues. [...] The US appears to believe that GMOs that are considered to be safe in the US should be de facto deemed to be safe for the rest of the world.' The EU and its Member States will retain the right to enact their own regulations on the food that their citizens eat, it adds. Environmental groups in Europe were defiant in response to the ruling, with Greenpeace International's Daniel Mittler saying: 'US agro-chemical giants will not sell a bushel more of their GM grain as a result [...]. This verdict only proves that the WTO puts trade interests above all others and is unqualified to deal with complex scientific and environmental issues.' The Commission concluded by advising major GMO producing countries such as the US to adopt a cooperative approach to developing the international legal framework for such products, 'instead of taking hostile steps in the WTO'. Both sides now have one week to ask the panel for a review of its interim ruling before a final ruling expected in March. Countries Argentina, Canada, United States
