More flexibility in GMO legislation

The European Commission has issued a legislative proposal which will provide Member States the freedom to allow, restrict or ban the cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) within their territory. Member States will no longer require authorisation by the Commission for such decisions but will only be required to inform other Member States and the Commission one month prior to adopting the respective measures. The overall authorisation system which is based on safety and consumer choice will remain the same in order to ensure the protection of consumers and the functioning of the internal market. This new approach aims to reach the right balance between EU authorization and the possibility for Member States to take their national concerns into account. This proposal on GMO legislation will amend Directive 2001/18/EC and will be adopted following co-decision with the European Parliament and the Council.

The proposal was criticised amongst others by researcher Thijs Etty from the Free University of Amsterdam. He warns that the proposals “will mean that the EU will no longer be the world’s largest GMO-free zone” and that such a change “will not take into account the divergent opinions of member states and the opposition of a majority of Europe’s citizens.” Etty argues that the proposals, presented as a “bid to seek a compromise with countries that are reluctant to allow GMO like Austria, Italy, Greece and Luxembourg, [...] are in fact a manoeuvre to force member states who are critical of the Commission’s policy to manifest themselves.” In the long term these countries “will have virtually no hope of remaining GMO free. [...] In reality, they will be forced to accept a diminishment of their autonomy, and a transfer of power to Brussels.” Over the next few months, Etty warns that “at least four new strains of GM soya and corn will be introduced in European fields.”