A few days before the summer break, the European Commission announced on Friday 26 July that it had authorised or renewed the authorisation of ten GMOs, mainly from Monsanto/Bayer, intended for human or animal consumption, and one carnation as an ornamental cut flower.
GHB614xLLCotton25xMON1598 hybrid cotton, the maize 5307, maize MON 87403, maize 4114, maize MON87411, hybrid maize Bt11xMIR162x1507xGA21 and soybean MON87751 have been authorised for 10 years.
Hybrid rape Ms8xRf3 and hybrid maize 1507xNK603 are eligible for a 10-year renewal of authorisation
All these GMOs had received a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), but are controversial, particularly because of their resistance to herbicides, such as glufosinate resistant maize 1507 and glyphosate resistant NK603.
The previous European Parliament objected to all these authorisations on public health and environmental grounds, both for GMOs and products containing them, citing in particular shortcomings in EFSA's risk assessment. However, Parliament's objections are not binding.
The Member States, on the other hand, had concerns, but failed, at expert level and then in the Appeal Committee, to obtain the qualified majority required to reject or approve the Commission's proposals. Under the current comitology procedure, they are in this case deemed not to have “an opinion”.
The European Commission was therefore empowered to decide on its own initiative, which it does in such cases by systematically authorising GMOs, even against the majority opinion of the Member States. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)