Brussels, 20/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 22 April, the proposal for reforming procedures for importing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the EU is expected. Greenpeace has many concerns in this respect and on Monday 20 April reiterated its fears that this reform could be antidemocratic because it is being proposed under pressure from industry lobbying groups and the US, against the wishes of European citizens.
The Commission is preparing to propose an authorisation procedure for GMOs used in human or animal feed that would allow member states in the EU to ban or limit the use of GMOs on their territory even though they may have received an import authorisation at an EU level (see EUROPE 11292 and 11291). This proposal is based on the authorisation procedure now in force for GM crops in the EU and which will allow for the relaunch of thirteen authorisation procedures that have been pending for years.
Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said “Juncker has repeatedly stressed the need to bridge a growing gap between European citizens and EU institutions. He promised to make decisions on GM crops more democratic by requiring the Commission to take into account major opposition to GM crops. It's important that Juncker stands by his promise and does not sacrifice the interests of Europeans for the sake of a trade agreement with the US”.
Jean-Claude Juncker's commitment involved revision of legislation that has hitherto obliged the Commission to authorise GMOs, even if a majority of member states were opposed to them. The controversy was provoked by the 1507 Pioneer maize, which nineteen member states had previously opposed and which encouraged the announcement of this reform.
Greenpeace believes that the planned reform is antidemocratic because it would allow the Commission to authorise the import of GMOs against the opinion of a majority of member states. The NGO also denounced the fact that “Pressure is mounting from the biotech industry and the US - particularly in the context of transatlantic trade talks - to increase the number of GMOs authorised in Europe, and to speed up authorisation procedures” for 13 GMOs on the Commission table. EU citizens are sceptical about GMOs in food and agriculture. Greenpeace backs up this claim by highlighting the fact that in 2010 more than 1 million citizens signed a petition by the Avaaz and Greenpeace NGOs calling for a ban on GMOs until a new body was put in charge of assessing their safety (see EUROPE 10278 and 10275). (Aminata Niang)