GMOs and food safety

Concerned by the health implications arising from the only life-long GMO feeding study on rats and the immediate trashing of the study from industry-influenced scientists, a number of MEPs, under the initiative of Green MEP Michèle Rivasi, have written an open letter to the Commission asking for transparency on the risk assessment studies, new long-term studies, a revision of the health and environment risk assessment guidelines, a new fund for independent and contradictory studies and a new legislative framework to prevent conflicts of interests. The letter has been already endorsed by MEPs from different political groups and will be open for signatures from all MEPs.

Open Letter to the European Commission

GMOs and food safety : More transparency and independence !

Brussels, the 15th of November 2012

The study of the biologist Gilles-Eric Séralini (University of Caen, France), carried out over two years on rats fed with food containing genetically modified maize (NK603 variety), with and without the herbicide Roundup, as well as Roundup alone, and whose results were published on 19th September in the scientific journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, has relaunched the debate on the possible risks linked to the consumption of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and on the reliability of the 90 days toxicity studies that have been used so far to justify their authorisations.

Concerned for the safety of GMOs and the health of Europeans we, Members of the European Parliament, demand :

1. transparency on the studies for the evaluation of the risks on health and the environment, that have led to the authorisations of pesticides and of the cultivation or import of GMOs in the European Union; we demand publication of the raw data underpinning those studies on a public website in a format that allows statistical work;
   
   
2. that independent and contradictory research projects be undertaken on the long-term effects (two years and more) of the consumption of GMOs and of the associated herbicides;
   
   
3. that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the Commission review the guidelines onthe evaluation of GMOs to include long-term potential impacts of GMOs, direct or indirect, on environment and health, as required by Directive 2001/18/EC on the deliberate release of GMOs in the environment, which is not respected, as it was reminded by the conclusions of the Council of Environment ministers of 4 December 2008;
   
   
4. that a fund allowing the funding of independent and contradictory studies be created and managed by the European Union but funded by industry (because the burden of funding such studies should not lie on taxpayers);
   
   
5. that the European Commission proposes a legislative framework on the quality and integrity ofthe expert review processes and on the prevention of conflicts of interests, in particular in European agencies.

First signatories :

Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA), José Bové (Greens/EFA), Corinne Lepage(ALDE), Sophie Auconie (EPP)

Supported by :

Daniel Cohn-Bendit (Greens/EFA), Bart Staes (Greens/EFA), Anne Delvaux (EPP), Jill Evans (Greens/EFA), Catherine Grèze(Greens/EFA), Martin Haüsling (Greens/EFA), Yannick Jadot (Greens/EFA), Eva Joly (Greens/EFA), Ana Miranda (Greens/EFA), Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE), Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP), RichardSeeber (EPP), Raül Romeva i Rueda (Greens/EFA), Oreste Rossi (EFD)