The EU General Court confirmed the opening of proceedings (T-534/19) and requested a reply from the European Commission following a complaint lodged by Testbiotech against the authorisation of a genetically modified maize produced by Bayer (Monsanto), the NGO announced on Thursday 14 November.
This is a hybrid maize (MON 87427 x MON 89034 x 1507 x MON 88017 x 59122) that is resistant to glyphosate and glufosinate herbicides, which produces six insecticide toxins and whose risks have not been sufficiently assessed. The Commission authorised its import in December 2018 for feed and food purposes (see EUROPE 12166/9).
In a detailed evaluation, Testbiotech showed that the risks to the immune system have not been sufficiently tested. In addition, the maize was not tested under the conditions under which it would be grown: the amount of pesticides sprayed in the trials was much lower than the amount that would be applied in the fields by farmers. Therefore, the data evaluated by EFSA are not in conformity with the products that will be imported, Testbiotech argued.
While GMO experts from EFSA and the European Commission are of the opinion that plants are safe, EFSA pesticide experts have recently confirmed that there is insufficient data to assess the safety of glyphosate spray residues on genetically modified plants. For the first time, EFSA has proposed lowering the maximum residue levels in genetically modified soya and maize. In view of the uncertainties and unanswered questions, Testbiotech concludes that the European Commission should not have approved the import of this genetically modified maize. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)