Brussels, 12/01/2015 (Agence Europe) - EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, gave warning on Monday 12 January, that unprecedented delays in authorising imports into the EU of GMOs for animal feeds could threaten feed supplies.
Fifty eight authorisation requests are pending, more than the number of GMOs already authorised in the EU. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has already completed risk assessments for, and approved, 18 of these, EuropaBio points out. EFSA has concluded that these transgenic products are no more harmful to the environment or health than conventional products. These are: six varieties of cotton (five authorisation requests and one renewal request), four varieties of maize (including NK603, MON 87460 and the renewal of the authorisation of T25), five varieties of soya from Monsanto and one variety of rapeseed (renewal of authorisation of GT73). EuropaBio says in a press release that it is time for the Commission to authorise imports of GMOs that are deemed safe for animals.
This warning comes at a time when it is the cultivation of GMOs in the EU that is grabbing the headlines, with the Parliament expected to vote in Strasbourg on Tuesday 13 January to approve amendment of Directive 2001/18/EC to allow the member states, under very tight conditions, to ban or restrict cultivation within their borders of GMOs that have been approved at EU level. (AN)