Brussels, 24/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - Three varieties of genetically modified maize and a trans-genetic sugarbeet will soon be authorised in the EU. The European Commission gave the go-ahead at its own volition. Authorisation decisions, adopted on 24 October, involve the 1507xNK603, NK603xMON810 and 59122 varieties of maize (also known as Herculex RW) for import, processing and human and animal foodstuffs, as well as the H7-1 sugar beet authorised for human and animal foodstuffs.
For these four varieties of GMO foodstuffs, the Commission was able to make a decision on its own, given that member state experts, then the Council of the EU, had previously failed to obtain the qualified majority required for approving or rejecting the authorisation proposals. The Commission proposed authorising these GMOs on the basis of favourable opinions given by the European Food Authority which have, nevertheless, been contested by ecologists (EUROPE 9454). (A.N.)