Brussels, 12/04/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission may decide later this week to suspend imports of gluten maize flour from the Unites States until it is provided with the methods used to detect genetically modified maize Bt10, which entered the EU “inadvertently” despite being banned (EUROPE 8919). This kind of measure is a definite possibility, said Philip Tod, spokesperson to Markos Kyprianou, European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection. During Monday's meeting between Markos Kyprianou and Michael Mack, CEO of the Swiss firm Syngenta, which produces and sells the transgenic maize in question, the Commission was unable to get the detection method for Bt10 maize out of Syngenta, which is the only way of identifying the presence of the maize gluten flour imported for animal feed from the United States. “Mr Mack apologised for the problems caused by the importing of this banned maize into the EU, and pledged to cooperate fully with the European authorities. Syngenta has elements of a detection method, which it hopes to confirm by the end of the month, but has not yet supplied it. Mr Kyprianou stressed the importance of getting hold of this method as soon as possible and will remain in touch with Syngenta”, Mr Tod announced on Tuesday, telling the press that the Commission, meeting in Strasbourg, will be updated by Mr Kyprianou. The Commission is to be provided with information provided by the Americans on the analysis of the risks and safety of Bt10 maize and on the quantities grown in the US and exported. “Temporary suspension of maize gluten until this detection method is available is something to be looked into. The Commission may decide whether to take such a measure by the end of the week”, the spokesperson added, stating that there is as yet no proposal to this end on the table. The view of the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) and of the standing committee on the food chain and animal health of the EU, to be published on Tuesday, will be used to help the Commission come to a decision.
In a press release, Greenpeace calls on the Commission to prepare “for a ban on all food and feed crops and seeds from the US, whether destined for human or animal consumption, as long as EU authorities do not have the means to test imports for illegal GMOs, and until the US government investigates the recent security lapse concerning Syngenta's Bt10 maize, and implements a failsafe system to control GMOs being shipped to Europe”.