Brussels, Belgium
May 7, 2008
Today, the EU Commission held a
debate on the biotech crop approval process in Europe and sent
out a disappointing signal when it agreed to send back three
cultivation dossiers which had been positively assessed. Europe
is already lagging behind worldwide competition when it comes to
biotech crops: more than 40 products are awaiting EU approval.
Furthermore, in the light of the current bottlenecks in the
supply of food and feed, it is unacceptable to keep putting off
decisions by asking the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to reconsider dossiers
such as the three biotech crops for cultivation which came
before the Commission today: two insect resistant corn varieties
and the starch potato Amflora which had been positively assessed
by EFSA years ago.
In doing so, European farmers are being denied access to the
technology. In Europe, only one biotech crop is available for
farmers, an insect-resistant Bt maize. Since 1998 not one single
new biotech crop has been allowed to reach the market for
cultivation. This stands in stark contrast to the 120 plus
products for 23 crops available to farmers worldwide (1). With
such politically motivated steps Europe is holding up a
well-established technology and is putting its credibility at
risk. The existing EU approval system, which has been agreed
upon between the Commission, the Member States and the European
Parliament includes a thorough examination involving the
scientific assessment of each and every biotech crop and its
potential environmental as well as health and safety impact.
Europe is still just talking about the technology, while the
rest of the world is moving ahead rapidly, causing Europe to
become increasingly isolated. “Today’s debate at the EU
Commission is yet another example of procrastination. The system
is in place, and it should be allowed to function,” says
Bernward Garthoff, Vice Chairman of
EuropaBio – the EU
association for bioindustries.
“Although we welcome the measures addressed to imports such as
the Commission decision to ask Austria to lift its ban on two
biotech maizes, and find a technical solution to the issue of
low level presence before the summer, we would have expected the
Commission to do more for European farmers so that they can
actually cultivate more biotech crops and not just import them,”
says Nathalie Moll, Director of EuropaBio.
Europe wants and needs to reduce the environmental impact of
agriculture and to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Biotech crops can contribute to both these goals. With over ten
years experience of commercial biotech planting, analysis has
shown considerable biotech crop-related carbon dioxide emission
savings (1). In 2006; these were equal to the removal off the
roads of 6.5 million cars, equal to about 25% of all registered
cars in the UK (2).
Biotech crops have been adopted by farmers at record pace around
the world because they offer better protection of harvests –
farmers can actually reap more of what they sow on the same
amount of land. Biotech crops also decrease the need for
spraying and reduce energy use as well as save on labour.
Biotech can endow crops with special traits so that they can be
grown in saline soils, or with less need of precious water
resources.
At a time where food security is high on the agenda, as prices
for agricultural commodities continue to surge globally with
unprecedented speed, agricultural biotechnology has an important
role to play in meeting the world’s challenge to feed itself. It
is unacceptable that Europe’s hesitation to apply its own
regulatory approval process is affecting developing countries
that would like to take up this technology.
(1) Brookes G and Barfoot P. (2006) GM crops: the first ten
years – Global socio-economic and environmental impacts. ISAAA
Brief N°36. ISAAA: Ithaca, NY.
http://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/36/download/isaaa-brief-36-2006.pdf
(2) In 2007, the global biotech crop area grew 12 percent or
12.3 million hectares to reach 114.3 million hectares, the
second highest area increase in the past five years. Two million
more farmers planted biotech crops in 2007 making a total of 12
million farmers globally enjoying the advantages from the
improved technology. Notably, 9 out of 10 of the benefiting
farmers, were resource-poor farmers (11 million in total),
exceeding the 10-million milestone for the first time. In fact,
more developing countries planted biotech crops in 2007 than
industrialized countries.
http://www.europabio.org/GBEne_ISAAA_130208.htm
EuropaBio is the European Association for Bioindustries,
solely and uniquely bringing together bioscience companies from
all fields of research and development, testing, manufacturing
and distribution of biotechnology products. It has 85 corporate
members operating worldwide, 7 associate members, 5 BioRegions
and 25 national biotechnology associations representing some
1800 small and medium sized enterprises involved in research. |
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European Commission delays GMO
approvals decision |
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The European Commission has
delayed a decision on Wednesday
on whether to allow European
farmers to grow numerous types
of genetically modified crops,
reports the IHT.
The paper says that Brussels'
decision to refer the crops, two
GM maize crops and a potato
modified to produce extra
starch, to the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) to
conduct more tests will heighten
tensions with leading
agro-science companies and risks
further friction with trading
partners like the US.
The commission has come under
pressure from industry and
environmental groups over the
products, which include a potato
produced by BASF of Germany and
two strains of corn, one
produced by DuPont and Dow
AgroSciences of the US, and
another corn variety from the
Swiss company Syngenta.
The Guardian reports that the
biotech industry is frustrated
over what it sees as the EU's
delay in approving GM products
to deny it market access.
"After more than three years
since the first positive safety
opinion by EFSA, the time has
come for the commission to live
up to the rules the EU set for
the approval of biotech crops,"
the paper reports Gyula Kovacs,
Pioneer Europe director of
operations as saying.
Source:
TheParliament.com |
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