EU Member States should listen to the parliament on GMOs
Environment committee rejects GMOs
The European Parliament's Environment Committee has today voted against the import for use in food and feed of a GMO soybean (DAS-68416-4 by Dow Agro-Sciences). The vote comes ahead of tomorrow's appeal committee, where representatives of the Member States will vote on the Commission's proposals. Green food safety spokesperson Bart Staes comments:
"The European Parliament has consistently made clear its opposition to GM authorisations. There are still many unanswered questions surrounding the impacts of this GMO on our health and the environment. Furthermore, we already know that the herbicides it has been made tolerant to, as well as some of their by-products, are dangerous to health. I hope that the Member States will take this into account when they come to make their own decision tomorrow. The European Commission repeatedly struggles to find majority support from Member States for the authorisation of new GMOs. The current approval system is clearly not fit for purpose, and we welcome the Commission's willingness to reform it. However, it is not just the process that is flawed. The Commission needs to look beyond the demands of big-agri firms and pursue a policy that will meet the needs of Europe's farmers and consumers in a more effective and sustainable way."
