Est. 1min 29-06-2004 (updated: 05-11-2012 ) Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: Français | DeutschPrint Email Facebook X LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram The Environment Council has failed to reach an agreement on the authorisation of GM maize NK 603. As a result, the Commission will once again have the final say on this issue. Read more with Euractiv Plant biotechnology - a silver bullet for global challenges?The Commission has presented its vision for plant biotechnology for the coming 20 years. The paper was drafted by stakeholders from industry, consumer organisations and research. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters BackgroundEU environment ministers have failed to reach the necessary qualified majority to either adopt or reject the Commission's proposal to authorise the import and processing of the genetically modified maize NK 603. As a result of the vote, the dossier will now be referred back to the Commission whose final decision is expected within the coming weeks. It is likely to be positive. Under the same comitology procedure, the Commission recently ended the six year 'de facto' moratorium with the approval of the GM sweetcorn variety Bt-11 (see ). Some 24 other applications for GM products have been received by the Commission, and they are currently waiting to go through the authorisation procedure. "This is the 6th time in a row that the European Commission has failed to convince the member states to approve a GMO. [...] It is becoming more and more visible that the authorities in Europe are deeply divided over GMOs," said Geert Ritsema of Friends of the Earth. The biotech industry, however, has voiced its anger over the vote. "We are disappointed that some Member States have not voted to approve the biotech product despite the fact that all their conditions for approval have been met. The application will now be passed back to the EU Commission and we call upon the Commission to finally approve NK603 without further delay," said EuropaBio's Simon Barber. The GM maize, which is produced by US biotech giant Monsanto, has been modified to increase its tolerance to a herbicide. If authorised by the Commission, the maize could be imported into the EU with immediate effect, but it would have to be clearly labelled as containing GMOs in accordance with the EU's new legislation. The maize would then be used as any other maize, but it could not be cultivated. While environment ministers voted on the import of NK 603 for animal feed, the approval of the variety for food use is currently pending a decision by the Agriculture Council.
