Brussels, 02/03/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission is soon expected to propose the marketing of genetically modified oilseed rape developed by the American food processing giant, Monsanto, after the favourable opinion given on Monday by scientists of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA). The request for authorisation to be placed on the market, to be put to the vote of the Committee of Member State Experts on the dissemination of GMOs, targets imports into the EU and the processing of the product for feed use, but not for growing crops of oilseed rape.
According to the EFSA press release: "The Panel has concluded that the herbicide-tolerant GM oilseed rape GT73 is as safe as conventional oilseed rape. Therefore the placing on the market (…) is unlikely to have an adverse effect on human or animal health or, in the contest of its proposed use, on the environment".
Oilseed rape GT73 was genetically modified by Monsanto to make it tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate, also called "roundup", also developed by the American group. This is the second variety of GMO for which EFSA scientists have given a favourable opinion, after that in December for maize NK603 by Monsanto.