Brussels, 29/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - Eleven countries have so far informed the European Commission of their desire to use their opt-out right to ban the cultivation within their borders of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) which have, nonetheless, been approved by the EU, the Commission confirmed before the European press on Tuesday 29 September.
The eleven countries are Austria, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and the Netherlands throughout their territories, and two member states where the opt-out will apply in only part of their territories: Belgium - Wallonia - and the United Kingdom - Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Italy could join this group of countries. The member states which wish to opt out have until 2 October to inform the Commission.
The right to opt out is granted under the new directive adopted on 2 March of this year (Directive (EU) 2015/412 amending Directive 2001/18/EC) which, subject to very strict conditions, allows member states to ban or restrict GM crops within their borders if they can provide good reason (see EUROPE 11267).
The requests from Greece and Latvia have already been transmitted to the companies concerned, and the Commission is in the process of informing the companies of the others' requests, said Enrico Brivio, spokesperson for Environment Commissioner Karmenu Vella and Health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, who has responsibility for GMOs. Option 1 of the directive stipulates that the Commission inform GMO producers that the member states wish to exclude all or part of their territories from the scope of the authorisation for the cultivation of their products, he added.
Under the terms of Directive (EU) 2015/412, member states can exercise their opt out at one of two stages: - either during the GMO approval procedure, requiring the biotechnology company which is applying for authorisation to remove them from the geographical scope of the authorisation (phase 1); - or, following the approval of a GMO, by banning or restricting cultivation on environmental or agricultural policy grounds or for reasons, such as planning, soil use, socio-economic impact, co-existence of crops or public order (phase 2). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)