USDA/FAS GAIN Report E35091

REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

Since 1998, the EU has approved three biotech events in the face of considerable member state (MS) resistance. About 30 events are in the pipeline still waiting approval. Currently, marketing bans on EU-approved biotech events are in effect in 6 MSs. On April 18, 2005 the Commission introduced emergency inspection measures to identify the presence of Bt10 corn in U.S. exports of corn gluten feed and brewers grains to the EU. The debate on agricultural biotechnology in the EU is highly politicized. Many of the contentious issues now confronting the EU are not related to human health and environmental safety. Over the last 6 years the EU has implemented a comprehensive regulatory system to guarantee that biotech products are fully evaluated to ensure their safety. The EU and MSs remain deadlocked on the search for seed labeling legislation to cover the adventitious presence of biotech seed and coexistence measures for biotech, conventional, and organic agriculture.

Complete report in PDF format: http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200506/146129925.pdf