Brussels, 09/10/2006 (Agence Europe) - On Monday, the European Commission decided to refer a matter, for the second time, to the Council of the EU, to try to oblige six Member States to lift their safeguard measures against genetically modified organisms (GMO) which were legally authorised in the EU at the time when these national measures were adopted.
On the basis of scientific opinions, the Commission had ruled that these national banning measures were unfounded. This is why it took the initiative to refer the matter to the Environment Ministers of the EU a first time, to try to have them abrogated. The Commission, having been nonsuited in June 2005, when the Environment Council refused, by qualified majority, to comply (EUROPE 8977), is to present identical proposals.
In the first case, which concerns Austria's decision to ban sales of two varieties of genetically modified maize on its territory- MON 810 and T25-, the European Commission will return to the attack, taking as its basis a new scientific opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which states that the information provided by Austria in justification of these bans contained no new element of risk.
In the other cases, the Commission's initiative aims to oblige Austria, Luxembourg and Germany to repeal their safeguard measures against maize Bt 176, France and Greece to repeal their ban on rape seed Topas 19/2, and France to repeal its ban on rape seed varieties Ms1 and Rf1. The request for these measures to be lifted is motivated by the fact that the GMO in question will neither be sold nor grown in the EU. This new development renders the above-mentioned safeguard measures null and void, the Commission explains in a press release.
It is highly unlikely that the Finnish Presidency will decide to include this point on the agenda of the Environment Council of 23 October. It is much more likely that the proposals will be examined at the December session. (an)