The European Commission announced on Wednesday 22 February that it had authorised the placing on the EU market of two GMOs - a herbicide-resistant soybean and a herbicide-resistant oilseed rape for food and feed use.
For the transgenic oilseed rape MON 94100 (MON-941ØØ) tolerant to Dicamba (3,6-dichloro-2-methoxybenzoic acid) from Bayer CropScience, this is the first authorisation in the EU.
BASF’s A5547-127 soybean, grown in Argentina and Brazil and resistant to glufosinate-ammonium herbicides, has now had its approval renewed.
In both cases, Member States had failed to reach the qualified majority required to approve or reject the Commission’s proposal for authorisation, based on a favourable scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The European Parliament had opposed their authorisation (see EUROPE 13083/7). The Commission nevertheless decided to go ahead, as a parliamentary objection is not legally binding. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)