NEW EU REGULATION OPENS LOOPHOLES FOR UNAUTHORISED GMOS

25 July 2001

Brussels - The long awaited regulations on traceabilty and labelling of genetically modified food and feed, presented by the European Commission today, risk opening a hole in a dike, allowing for the first time unauthorised genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the European Union market, warned Greenpeace.

Greenpeace welcomes the introduction of a more thorough labelling regime, which includes products derived from GMOs such as oil and starch in food, as well as animal feed, which is the bulk of present GMO imports into the European Union. However the new regulations include a dangerous loophole: the Commission is proposing to set a one percent tolerance threshold not only for authorised but also for unauthorised GMOs. Below that threshold, their presence in a product would not need to be approved or labelled. If the European Parliament and Council endorsed this provision, EU member states would in fact give up their sovereignty over the regulation of GMOs to some extent.

At this moment the Commission proposes to apply these exemptions only to those GMOs, which have already received a favourable risk assessment by the EU scientific committees, but not the final market approval from the member states competent authorities and ministers. As they had deemed the present EU regulations inadequate, member states have imposed a de facto moratorium on GMO approvals for more than two years. Authorities have not agree on any of the approvals proposed by the Commission.

Scientists as well as politicians and NGOs have frequently questioned the EU Scientific Committees' favourable opinions on GMOs over the past few years. And the recent Scientific Committee conclusion that 'zero tolerance' of seed contamination from unauthorised GMOs is unworkable in practice was based on political and commercial assumptions, rather than scientific criteria. (1)

"The Commission's proposal is the wrong reaction to increased pressure and threats from the US administration and GMO producing companies like Monsanto, Aventis, Syngenta and DuPont," said Greenpeace European Unit political advisor Dr.Brigid Gavin. "If the EU sets clear and uncompromising safety standards the market will adapt to them. Opening loopholes like this however invites them to continue with their present strategy of sneaking unwanted and dangerous GMOs into our food chain."

"Member states should closely watch the Commission's intentions and make sure they keep full control of the proposed new European Food Agency. Once you give up the principle to only accept GMOs, which are authorised within and by the Community, a vicious circle of increasing contamination with such unauthorised GMOs will be started by interested companies," said Gavin.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Lorenzo Consoli, Greenpeace European Unit, press officer: + 32 496122112
Dr. Brigid Gavin, Greenpeace European Unit political advisor +32 2 2801400

1) Scientific Committee on Plants - Opinion concerning the adventitious presence of GM seeds in conventional seeds. Adopted on 7 March 2001.