Europe 'caving in to US firms' on approval for GM foods

Andrew Osborn / Guardian Unlimited 14jul00

The European commission was yesterday accused of caving in to pressure from large US biotechnology firms after it signalled it would rush through a controversial proposal to scrap the current Europe-wide moratorium on approval of new types of genetically modified food.

In an outburst which angered environmental activists, the commission said the time had come to accept that gm food did not pose a serious threat to public health and that new types of gm food should be approved.

No new gm crops have been authorised for sale or use in the 15-state EU for around two years after public concerns about the safety of gm food prompted Europe's environment ministers to demand a stricter regulatory framework.

But the commission yesterday vowed to do its utmost to push through a directive governing gm food which it claims is far tougher than its predecessor and will include provisions on the labelling and traceability of any new food approved.

Although the content of the new directive has to be definitively approved by the European parliament and EU governments, it could become law by the end of the year, kick-starting the EU's moribund approvals system.

In an unprecedented step, the commission is lobbying for the new directive to become law as soon as it is endorsed in Brussels, and thinks it cannot afford to wait for individual countries to implement its provisions, a process which could take a further two years.

"The scientific evidence that is available to all of us is that there is no scientific danger in any gm foods," David Byrne, the commissioner in charge of consumer protection, said yesterday. He acknowledged that many consumers did not want to buy gm products, but promised the new legislation was sufficiently rigorous to guarantee the safety of gm food as far as this was scientifically possible.

Margot Wallstrom, the environment commissioner, added her voice to calls for urgent action and said doing nothing would leave the commission vulnerable to a rash of lawsuits from biotechnology companies.

"The moratorium is illegal and unjustified and we cannot stop advances in new technology by refusing to act," she said.

The commission's proposals will be discussed this weekend when EU environment ministers meet in Paris.

Greenpeace accused the commission of being in the pocket of US biotechnology giants such as Monsanto who are desperate to get their products approved in Europe.

"The commission is bowing to US threats with a proposal which flies in the face of current consumer and member state concern," spokeswoman Isabelle Meister said.

A recent EU poll found that 66% of Europeans viewed GM food as a health hazard. Eighteen gm food products have been approved for commercial use in the EU.