On Tuesday 6 July, the European Parliament vetoed, as it always does, the European Commission’s proposals to authorise or renew the marketing authorisation in the EU of herbicide-resistant transgenic maize and soya varieties for use in food and animal feed.
For the four dossiers under discussion, which concern both GMOs and products containing them, MEPs cited the protection of human health and the environment, shortcomings in EFSA’s risk assessment and the authorisation procedure’s undemocratic nature (see EUROPE 12746/13).
According to the results of the vote, which became available on 7 July, the European Parliament objected to the marketing authorisation of DAS-81419-2 soybeans (470 votes in favour, 199 against and 23 abstentions), DAS-81419-2 × DAS-44406-6 hybrid soybeans (470 votes in favour, 199 against and 23 abstentions) and hybrid maize 1507 × MIR162 × MON810 × NK603 (470 votes in favour, 22 against and 22 abstentions).
With the same number of votes, they objected to the renewal of the authorisation of Bt 11 maize (SYN-BTØ11-1).
Each of these GMOs had received a positive endorsement from EFSA. As the Member States did not have the qualified majority required to approve or reject these proposals, they were deemed not to hold an opinion.
As these objections are not binding, the European Commission can decide on its own whether to go ahead, as it does every time on this matter. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)