Brussels, 28/07/2010 (Agence Europe) - The die has been cast. With the Council of the EU failing to come to any decision, the European Commission announced on Wednesday 28 July that it had decided to authorise five varieties of genetically modified maize (1507x59122, 59122x1507xNK603, MON88017xMON810, MON89034xNK603 and Bt11xGA21) and to renew authorisation of Bt11 maize for 10 years.
These 6 decisions cover authorisation for food and feed uses and import and processing, but not for cultivation. Just like the member states themselves at the Agriculture Council of 29 June, member states' experts on the EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health were unable to come to a decision for or against authorisation, having failed to reach the qualified majority needed to approve or reject the Commission's proposals (see EUROPE 10171). According to the comitology procedure which obtains in these circumstances, the final decision was left to the European Commission which has yet to refuse to authorise a GMO (genetically modified organism) when the decision was its.
In each case, the Commission based its proposal for authorisation on the positive safety assessments delivered by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) following a risk evaluation procedure. The opinions were made between February 2009 and September 2010. (A.N./transl.rt)