The European Parliament will vote on Wednesday 10 March on draft resolutions calling on it to oppose the EU market authorisation of two herbicide-resistant GMOs, as it does as a matter of course for reasons of public health, environmental protection and because of a procedure deemed undemocratic.
This relates to MZIR098 maize (SYN-ØØØ98-3) and hybrid cotton GHB614 × T304-40 × GHB119. In both cases, the Environment Committee recommends that the Parliament object to the draft implementing decisions of the European Commission concerning both the GMOs themselves and products containing them, intended for food or feed use.
Maize has been modified to tolerate herbicides containing glufosinate and to produce two insecticidal proteins (“Bt” or “Cry” toxins): eCry3.1Ab and mCry3A, which are toxic to certain maize-eating beetle larvae.
Transgenic cotton is resistant to herbicides containing glufosinate and glyphosate and produces two insecticidal proteins (“Bt” or “Cry” toxins): Cry1Ab and Cry2Ae, which are toxic to certain cotton-eating lepidopteran larvae. Moreover, although human consumption of cottonseed oil is relatively limited in Europe, it is found in a wide variety of food products.
The draft objections point out in particular that glufosinate is classified as toxic for reproduction and that the authorisation for the use of glufosinate in the EU expired on 31 July 2018.
Gaps in EFSA’s risk assessment and failure to address concerns raised by Member States are also highlighted.
The Commission is asked to withdraw its draft decisions and to urgently move forward with the development of sustainability criteria for GMO authorisation decisions, with the full involvement of Parliament. The importance of sustainability was recognised by the Commission in a letter to MEPs in September 2020.
See the two draft resolutions: - cotton: https://bit.ly/3bfOigx; - maize:
https://bit.ly/2Ounyji (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)