Brussels, 18/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - A further step was taken on Wednesday 17 December towards formal adoption of new European legislation that will allow member states greater freedom over GMO cultivation.
MEPs on the Parliament's environment committee endorsed the agreement in principle reached in trialogue on the draft European directive which will amend current legislation (Directive 2001/18/EC) to allow member states, under tight conditions, to ban or to restrict cultivation within their borders of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that have been authorised in the EU. The member states' ambassadors endorsed the draft at the Coreper meeting of 10 December (see EUROPE 11216).
All that remains is the formality of adoption by the European Parliament; the vote is scheduled to take place in Strasbourg on 13 January.
Rapporteur Frédérique Ries (ALDE, Belgium) said that this agreement “will ensure more flexibility for member states. It will signpost a debate which is far from over between pro- and anti-GMO positions”. She added: “I place my trust in Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's pledge to strengthen the democratic process on GMOs in Europe and ensure that research is genuinely independent”. (AN)