Brussels, 24/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday the Commission recognised that its proposal for a technical amendment of Community legislation on seed, with a view to introduce a tolerance threshold for an unavoidable and accidental presence of GMOs in traditional and organic see (EUROPE 30 September p 12 and 18 September p 13) will have to be examined mainly in relation to the potential environmental effects and not simply as a purely technical agricultural issue. This is a complete about turn with regard to the Commission's approach in this controversial issue, which has provoked an outcry among environmental protectionists and consumers (EUROPE 1 October p 17) and created opposition from several Member States, as well as criticism from the European Parliament's legal service regarding procedures. On Thursday, Margo Wallström, Commissioner for the Environment, informed Member States that it would not be the permanent committee for seed, agricultural plants, horticulture and forestry of the EU reaching a decision on the threshold (as it was expected to do on Monday) but the regulation committee set up by directive 2001/18/European Commissioner, responsible for deliberate dissemination of GMOs into the environment.
Politically this about turn is important because it establishes a new hierarchy into the number of concerns over the environment. In practical terms the change form the plant committee to the regulation committee of directive 2001/18/EC means that the decision to set a tolerance threshold of 0.3% and 0.7% according to the seed (potato, rapeseed, corn soya) will be subject to a more rigorous procedure. In order to be adopted, the decision will be examined at first by qualified majority.
Greenpeace ecstatic and informs Member States of their responsibilities
Greenpeace for whom the setting of a tolerance threshold is the equivalent of legalising widespread contamination by genetically modified organisms and the signing the death sentence for GMO free farming, is therefore happy about the volte-face of the Commission. According to the organisation, this will mean recognising that even minuscule amounts of GMOs in convention seed can have a major impact on the environment. Eric Gall, expert from Greenpeace declared that, "This is a major victory for the environment. Now it will be up to Member States to decide if they want to legalise, by leaving the door ajar, contamination by GMOs. We call on them to guarantee seed purity and prevent uncontrolled and irreversible contamination of the environment and farming in Europe".