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Brussels, Belgium
December 18 2006
The EU's Environment Council has
today delivered a blow to the prospects for growth and jobs in
Europe, according to
EuropaBio. By backing Austria's illegal ban on the
cultivation of EU-approved GM crops, the Council has seriously
damaged the credibility of the regulatory system on which much
of Europe's innovative and industrial capacity relies, says the
European biotechnology industry association. Today’s vote denies
Austrian farmers the freedom of choice and the possibility to
grow GM if they want to.
"At issue is whether scientific opinions are to be respected and
whether decision-making is to be rational in Europe", said Johan
Vanhemelrijck, EuropaBio's Secretary General.
The European Commission had asked the Council to overturn the
Austrian ban on two genetically-modified maize seeds which have
repeatedly been pronounced safe after protracted EU reviews. One
of the products, Mon810, is designed to resist the European corn
borer, a widespread moth larva that can destroy crops. It is
already grown in Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and the Czech
Republic without any safety or environmental issues, thus
demonstrating that Austria's objections are without foundation.
The other, T25, permits farmers to use a broad-spectrum
herbicide for weed control without damaging the crop. (Details
of the products and their safety assessment appear below.)
But a qualified majority of member states today rejected the
European Commission call for the prohibition to be repealed.
"The EU's own scientific assessments have repeatedly made clear
that there is no reason to consider that the products constitute
a risk to human health or the environment", said Johan
Vanhemelrijck. "The Council is undermining the authority of its
own expert advisors. Europe is the only region in the world that
votes on its science, the community must start to believe its
own scientific opinions.”
This is the second time the Council has refused Commission
proposals to overturn these illegal bans. Already in June 2005 a
qualified majority of member states upheld Austria's position,
and required further information.
"Today's decision by the Council displays an alarming
indifference to the EU's own rules, and to common sense", said
Simon Barber, Director of EuropaBio. "The further information
the Council requested in 2005 has now been provided, and it
indicates unambiguously that the products carry none of the
risks alleged. But still the Council declines to follow the
advice of the EU's own expert advisory bodies. This departure
from rational decision-making is disconcerting - not only for
these two products, but for every innovator in every industrial
sector that is subject to EU regulation. If the EU ceases to
follow its own rules, innovators and investors are left in a
state of profound uncertainty - and that is deeply discouraging
for growth and for jobs. It will be no surprise if this
continued disarray in the EU induces more companies to move
their research and investment abroad to regions with more
predictable and consistent regulatory regimes".
EuropaBio points out that the knowledge-based bio-economy,
repeatedly recognised by the EU to be a crucial element in the
renewed jobs and growth strategy, can fully deliver on its
potential only if the regulatory framework is consistent and
consistently implemented. The European Commission has recognised
this, and so too have many member states. But other member
states continue to put these opportunities at risk by allowing
local political considerations to distort the decision-making
process.
Given a predictable regulatory environment, the sector can:
-
exploit its
innovative capacity to diversify from food/feed into
renewable bio-based resources and bio-energy;
-
increasingly
provide raw-biomaterials for other industrial sectors
-
maintain its
investment in European research and innovation
MON 810
In 1998 the European Commission gave its consent for the
marketing of Monsanto's Zea Mays L. line MON 810, and France
authorised the product. Austria prohibited the use and sale of
the product in 1999, but its justifications for the prohibition
were rejected by the EU's Scientific Committee on Plants in
1999, and in 2004 and again in 2006 by the European Food Safety
Authority.
T25
In 1998 the European Commission gave its consent for the
marketing of Aventis' Zea Mays L. line T 25, and France
authorised the product. Austria prohibited the use and sale of
the product in May 2000, but its justifications for the
prohibition were rejected in 2001 by the Scientific Committee on
Plants, and by EFSA in 2004, and again in 2006
In both cases, EFSA concluded that there is no reason to believe
that the continued placing on the market of these products "is
likely to cause any adverse effects for human and animal health
or the environment under the conditions of its consent."
EuropaBio, the
European Association for Bioindustries, has 70 direct members
operating Worldwide, 12 associate members and 5 bioregions as
well as 24 national biotechnology associations representing some
1800 small and medium sized enterprises involved in research and
development, testing, manufacturing and distribution of
biotechnology products. |
