Brussels, 01/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission decided in March to authorise all at one time the import of ten new genetically modified organisms (GMOs) for use in food and feed (see EUROPE 11302). Environmental NGOs and organisations specialising in the ethics of biotechnologies, however, have something to say about this.
Refusing to stand idly by, a group of NGO filed requests on Wednesday 1 July for the European Commission to review the market authorisations for a variety of genetically modified oilseed rape by Monsanto (MON 88302, genetically engineered to be resistant to the herbicide glyphosate) and three varieties of soybean produced by Monsanto and Pioneer (MON 87769, MON 87705 and DP 3054230) in which the composition of the oil they contain has been changed.
This is the first stage on a path that could lead to the Court of Justice. Before that, the European Commission will have twelve weeks to respond to the complainants.
Concerns for the environment. The complainants argue that the risks of an uncontrolled spread of the oilseed rape into the environment were not assessed as required by EU regulations. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which is responsible for risk assessment, itself admits that the plants might grow in the wild if any spillage of the kernels were to occur, but says the risk of further spread is low. The NGOs provide a number of publications which show that there is concrete evidence that oilseed rape spreads after spillage along transport routes into fields and local conventional crops.
Concerns for health. As for the genetically engineered soybeans with altered oil composition and nutritional effects, the NGOs claim that EFSA did not assess the real impact on health that their consumption might have. They say that internal EFSA documents show that there was a plan to draw up specific guidance for the risk the assessment of such nutritionally altered plants, but this guidance was never actually issued.
The NGO group is made up of Friends of the Earth Germany, GeN Gen-ethisches Netzwerk e.V. GeS Gen-ethische Stiftung, GeKKO, Test Biotech, Gene Watch UK, Atktion Gen-Klage, Sambulus e.v). (Aminata Niang)