Brussels, 19/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 16 March, the French government decided not to wait but to agree a new suspension of the cultivation of genetically modified MON 810 maize on its territory, having failed to obtain the European Commission's agreement to suspend authorisation for this crop at European level as it requested in February under Article 34 of Regulation 1829/2003 (see EUROPE 10558). This decision, which was announced in a press release on Friday evening and has already been published in the French Official Journal in the form of a ministerial decision, comes as neither a surprise nor a blow to the European Commission, which is still planning to refer to the opinion of EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), anticipated “for the spring”, the Commission announced on Monday 19 March.
As provided for by European legislation, the subject will be included on the agenda of a standing committee of the EU within 10 days, to give France the opportunity to inform the other member states and the Commission of its emergency measure, Frédéric Vincent, the spokesperson to European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection John Dalli, told EUROPE.
“This decision is not a surprise to us. We forwarded France's note to EFSA for its analysis and monitoring. France took the view that there was enough scientific evidence to justify a suspension at European level. Early last week, we wrote to France to state that at first sight, without taking position on the substance, there was nothing to justify an emergency measure at EU level. We are referring the matter to EFSA. Our final response will be available once EFSA has returned its opinion.” When asked what had led the Commission to base its preliminary opinion on this 15-page note, Dalli's spokesperson replied: “there are many GMO experts at the Commission”. This latest French safeguard clause 'seems very fragile in light of the stance taken by the European Court of Justice to annul the moratorium of February 2008”, says Greenpeace, quoted by AFP.
The French decision, which was announced in January after a previous safeguard clause was invalidated by the Court of Justice of the EU (the legal basis for the measure was called into question) and the Council of State, is now in effect. It is up to EFSA to determine if the evidence constitutes new scientific elements regarding this genetically modified maize, which has been authorised for cultivation in the EU since 1998. On Friday, in a joint press release by the ministries of ecology and sustainable development and agriculture and food, the French authorities announced their decision as follows (our translation): “The Commission has informed the French authorities that it had brought the matter before the European Food Safety Authority, but was not planning to take any emergency measures pending the opinion of EFSA. As the planting season is close at hand, the minister for agriculture has decided today to take a conservative measure temporarily to ban the cultivation of MON 810 maize on national territory, in order to protect the environment.” (AN/transl.fl)