Brussels, 24/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission's proposal aimed at authorising cultivation of Pioneer-Dupont's genetically modified maize 1507 should be the subject of a formal vote and a real debate at ministerial level on 11 February, during the General Affairs Council (see EUROPE 10999).
The Council has until 12 February to take a qualified majority stance to approve or reject the highly controversial European Commission proposal aimed at authorising the cultivation of Pioneer-Dupont's TC1507 genetically modified maize. The outcome of the vote is uncertain but, for the very first time, the scenario of qualified majority for cultivation of the GMO cannot be ruled out. Germany is reported to have joined the ranks of those opposing the cultivation of the GM maize, notably: France, Poland, Lithuania, Ireland, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Malta, Luxembourg and Bulgaria. This would be the first time that European ministers oppose authorisation of a GMO crop.
The most likely scenario before the change in Germany's position was the usual scenario of no qualified majority at the level of member states either for or against the cultivation of the maize. In the case in hand, this means that the final decision on authorisation of maize 1507 is up to the European Commission. It is impossible to predict the outcome of the vote. There is uncertainty regarding the positions of Italy and Portugal (which could abstain). Those supporting TC1507 cultivation include the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Romania.
The issue of maize 1507 was finally withdrawn from the agenda of Coreper (committee of permanent representatives of EU member states) on Friday 24 January. It is therefore Coreper that is preparing for the General Affairs Council on Wednesday 29 January that should, according to one source, “examine the votes of member states which should then be confirmed during the Council on 11 February”.
The group of experts from EU member states meeting on 21 January to pursue discussion on this issue worked on the drafting of an amended text to incorporate certain changes requested by Hungary and Portugal. These countries wish to ensure that glufosinate (to which maize 1507 is tolerant) will not be used on this crop. This would be a pointless addition, the European Commission states, as the use of this herbicide is, at any rate, very restricted in Europe. Certain requests made by Germany regarding the programmes for monitoring the impact of the GMO maize on non-target species of lepidopteran insects have also been taken into account.
France, backed by the member states opposed to the Commission's proposal (Hungary, Denmark, Austria, Ireland and Cyprus to name but a few) has been urging the Greek Presidency of the Council for some weeks to hold a true debate in Council on this GMO. For the time being, therefore, it has at least won the day with regard to the organisation of the debate at ministerial level. One should specify that several countries in favour of the proposal, such as the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, have also backed the French request with a view to organising a debate.
The French minister for agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, reaffirmed on Thursday when addressing the French Senate that France was determined to close EU fields to this crop, and to reform the procedure for authorisation of GMOs within the EU. Paris refuses to authorise the maize for “substantive” reasons and because the company involved has still not responded to the request made by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to “specify a certain number of rules (…) on the environmental impact”. The European Parliament also called for the request for authorisation to be rejected, voting by 385 votes to 201 and 35 abstentions.
Four GMOs have obtained cultivation authorisation in the EU but just one is still cultivated in some states, MON810 maize by the US group Monsanto, which has called for the authorisation to be renewed. The others, two kinds of maize, BT176 and T25, and the Amflora potato, have been abandoned. (LC/transl.jl)