In the name of public health and environmental protection, MEPs on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) vetoed the EU market authorisation of two herbicide-tolerant GMOs on Thursday 13 January.
Under discussion were the renewal of the authorisation of the genetically modified cotton GHB614 (BCS-GHØØ2-5), grown in Brazil and Argentina, and the first authorisation of the transgenic soybean GMB151 (BCS-GM151-6). Both requests for authorisation came from BASF Agricultural Solutions Seed US LLC, either directly or via BASF Germany.
The two objections to the European Commission’s draft implementing decisions were adopted by 45 votes to 31, with two abstentions.
They concern both the GMOs themselves and products containing them.
In support of their opposition, MEPs cite shortcomings in the risk assessment of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which had given a favourable opinion.
They also denounce an undemocratic procedure, as the Commission’s proposals, on which the Member States failed to decide, did not receive the support of a qualified majority of them.
The objection proposals were prepared by Martin Häusling (Greens/EFA, Germany), Günther Sidl (S&D, Austria), Anja Hazekamp (The Left, Netherlands) and Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland).
See the text on soybeans: https://bit.ly/3A6qw1u
See the text on cotton: https://bit.ly/3FlKrdK (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)