In the name of the environment and public health, on Tuesday 13 December the European Parliament opposed the renewal of the EU marketing authorisation for a genetically modified BASF soybean grown in Argentina and Brazil that is resistant to herbicides containing glufosinate ammonium.
The objection, adopted by 425 votes in favour, 182 against and 20 abstentions, concerns a draft implementing decision of the European Commission for soybean (A5547-127 (ACS-GMØØ6-4)) and all products containing it.
The European Parliament calls on the Commission not to allow the import of herbicide-tolerant GM crops, “due to the increased use of complementary herbicides and the associated risks to biodiversity, food safety and workers’ health”.
It also takes this opportunity to call on the Commission to urgently deliver on its commitment to bring forward a proposal to ensure that dangerous chemicals banned in the EU are not produced for export during this Parliament.
Such an objection by the European Parliament is not legally binding. Nothing would prevent the Commission from going ahead with the authorisation, which had received a favourable opinion from EFSA in May 2022 and on which Member States had failed to reach the required qualified majority for or against. The European Parliament is also condemning an undemocratic procedure, as it frequently does.
See the text as voted on: https://aeur.eu/f/4mt (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)