On Tuesday 21 March, the members of the European Parliament’s environment committee again opposed the marketing authorisation for food and feed of varieties of hybrid transgenic maize from Syngenta and products containing these GMOs and their sub-combinations – 20 in all.
Under assessment were maize Bt11 × 59122 × MIR604 × 1507 × GA21 from Syngenta and genetically modified maize combining two, three or four of the varieties Bt11, 59122, MIR604, 1507 and GA21, which the European Commission proposes to authorise for marketing in the EU under the terms of Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed.
The objection, prepared by Bart Staes (Greens/EFA, Belgium), argues principally reasons of public health and environmental protection. It was passed by 33 votes to 22, with 3 abstentions.
The Committee cannot see how the Commission can propose authorisation of these GMOs and derivatives when, within the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), there is a minority view that Syngenta has failed to provide data allowing risk evaluation of the sub-combinations. They point out that the different genetic traits provide these GMOs with tolerance to the highly controversial total herbicide glyphosate (this is the case for Bt11 × 59122 × MIR604 × 1507 × GA21) and the herbicide glufosinate ammonium.
The last argument advanced criticises the fact that, once again, the European Commission is preparing to take a decision to authorise when there is no supporting qualified majority among the member state experts and in the knowledge that, within EFSA, there are dissenting voices.
“The Commission persists in its desire to have us swallow GMOs that are pesticide- and herbicide-tolerant. Against a background where the US courts have recently revealed the ‘Monsanto papers’ which show that the multinational concealed the dangers of glyphosate, the Commission is seriously overstepping its powers”, stated French Green MEP Michèle Rivasi. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)