Brussels, 26/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - During a meeting of the WTO's committee on technical barriers to trade on 15-18 June, several WTO member countries voiced their concerns about the European Commission's proposal to give the EU member states more freedom to restrict or ban the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and animal feed.
Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Paraguay and the US spoke of their concerns about the draft review of EU rules on marketing GMOs - a review that was tabled by the Commission on 22 April (see EUROPE 11300). These countries asked the EU to notify the WTO's sanitary and phytosanitary committee swiftly of the proposed revision that permits each member state to decide to ban on its territory a transgenic variety that has been authorised at European level.
In response to these concerns, the EU delegation gave assurances that its proposal does not introduce any restriction or ban but enables EU member states to opt out of a GMO authorisation by the EU. Free movement within the EU internal market would be preserved as the member states would not be permitted to restrict or ban the import and circulation of GMOs - only their use, the EU stated. (Emmanuel Hagry)