EU to re-open GMO approval debate

The Austrian Presidency will re-open the debate over the safety assessment of GMOs at the environment Council on 9 March in a bid to simplify rules to accept or reject the controversial crops.

Austria, one of Europe’s most vocal opponents to biotech crops and current holder of the EU’s rotating Presidency, wants to re-open the debate over the safety assessments performed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Austria is seeking to improve EFSA’s GM approval procedure so that it takes better account of more skeptical opinions from national food safety authorities.

At stake is the EU’s complex system for approval of GM crops, which requires any decision to be taken by a qualified majority. In the absence of such a majority, the matter is referred back to the Commission which is bound to follow EFSA’s safety assessment. Up till now, EFSA has never given a negative advice on GMOs.

Austria, with the support of Greece, Italy and Luxembourg, would like to see decisions on GMOs taken by a simple majority instead, arguing this could help solve the deadlock. Larger member states, including France and the UK, are opposed to the idea because they fear they could be forced to accept decisions imposed by smaller states.

The ministers’ discussions will take place at the same time as the WTO is appearing to support the US, Argentina and Canada in a dispute with the EU over the approval of biotech food (EURACTIV 9 Feb. 2006).

Other items on the ministers menu include:

• Climate change (conclusions, see EURACTIV LinksDossier)
• Spring Council (conclusions)
• Thematic strategy on air pollution (conclusions, see EURACTIV LinksDossier)
• Biodiversity Convention and Biosafety Protocol (Conclusions)
• Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (Conclusions)
• Review of the EU sustainable development strategy (policy debate, see EURACTIV LinksDossier)
• Thematic strategy on waste prevention and recycling (policy debate, see EURACTIV LinksDossier)
• Euro 5 standards (policy debate, see EURACTIV LinksDossier)
• Floods Directive (progress report, see EURACTIV 30 Jan. 2006)

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