Brussels, 12/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The fact that the European Commission is preparing to take the decision itself to authorise the cultivation in the EU of the genetically modified maize TC 1507 by Pioneer, against the opinion of 19 member states and despite the opposition of the European Parliament, has shed light on differing interpretations of the comitology procedure between the legal services of the Council and of the Commission and caused considerable uproar, to which the Commission has paid no attention whatsoever, firm in its belief that it has no other choice (see EUROPE 11016). On Wednesday 12 February, the Greens/EFA Group in the Parliament was threatening a motion of no confidence if the Commission continues down this road. On the same day, the Commission confirmed before the press that it was well within its rights and expressed its hopes that the Environment Council of 3 March would manage to approve its proposal of July 2010 to modify the current legislation (Directive 2001/18/EC) to authorise the member states to limit or ban the cultivation on their territory of a GMO authorised at EU level, for reasons other than health and the environment. “We are hoping for a qualified majority at the Council in March”, said the Commission spokesperson, who believes that this is the best way of “breaking the deadlock”.
In the view of Corinne Lepage (ALDE, France), the rapporteur on this proposal, “the discussion on the national GMO bans must be the opportunity for a broader reform of the assessment and authorisation procedures for GMOs, as the Council debate showed just how absurd these are. The Commission cannot hide behind old, anti-democratic procedures to justify this authorisation, unless it wants to put across an image of a Europe which defends multinationals rather than its citizens”.
Motion of no-confidence a possibility. Daniel Cohn Bendit (Greens/EFA, France), joint leader of the Greens Group, warned: “If the Commission continues its intention of authorising this variety of GM maize against the clear opposition of the Council and the Parliament, it would be showing enormous disdain for the democratic process. Not to mention opposition to GMOs among the general public in Europe. This issue is a test case for European democracy and, if the Commission obstinately continues its desire to authorise GM maize 1507 despite this opposition, we will be tabling a motion of no confidence within the European Parliament against the Commission”. José Bové said that “the European Commission is legally obliged to respond to Pioneer, but the Treaties do not force it automatically to accept GMOs. This is therefore not a technical issue, but a political decision. In democracy, the defence of the general interest takes priority over the interests of a company”. Marc Tarabella (S&D, Belgium) spoke on similar lines: “The clear will of the citizens, as relayed by the European Parliament, has been denied. 19 countries of the Union took position against, and 59% of the citizens: are the producers of GMOs above the states and the people?”. (AN/transl.fl)