Brussels, 05/03/2008 (Agence Europe) - At the request of France which wants to see a wider knowledge base on which to assess the risks of GMOs (generically modified organisms) in the EU, the Environment Council held an informal debate on the issue on 3 March, and is likely to discuss the matter formally when it next meets On 5 June. That, at least, is what Paris hopes.
While congratulating the Commission for its proposals on improving the GMO authorisation procedure, and acknowledging the work done by EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) to improve dialogue with competent national authorities, France, when it holds the Presidency of the EU (July-December 2008), wants to continue the reflection process and the debate on the assessment of GMOs at European level.
French Minister Jean-Louis Borloo announced that France would hold an expert conference on how the use of animal and plant biotechnology impinges on biological diversity, and on the development of public policy on genetic engineering. To open the debate, Borloo presented a working paper to the Environment Council, setting out lines for consideration on: - more ambitious reform of information gathering and assessment at European level, particularly to ensure that expert groups are multidisciplinary; - bringing the assessment criteria for insecticidal and herbicidal GMOs closer to those of plant health products; - taking account of the agricultural impact of GMOs and their use on the various kinds of production; - appropriate criteria to swiftly setting labelling thresholds for GMO seeds to ensure that GMO and conventional or biological crops can co-exist.
“The question has changed. Until now, freedom to trade has come first, unless any danger to health could be proved. We have moved from a serious health issue to an issue concerning toxicology, biodiversity, agronomy, the freedom to grow crops differently. Everyone believes we have to change how we do things. We want a proposal for the Council of 5 June,” Borloo told press. The idea received the support of several delegations (Italy, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Romania, Poland, Spain, Luxemburg and Greece). European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said that he would welcome the debate. (A.N.)