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March 11, 2009
Source:
GMO Compass
The EU
Commission has approved the import of the genetically modified
T45 rapeseed and its use in the food and feed chain. Member
States were unable to come to an agreement forcing the EU
Commission to grant approval based on a scientific risk
assessment of the T45 rapeseed.
The
herbicide-tolerant T45 rapeseed developed by Bayer Crop Science
has been commercially grown over the past ten years in Canada,
the world's leading country of rapeseed products. Almost all
rapeseed products sown in Canada are herbicide-tolerant, the
majority of which is genetically engineered.
Rapeseed
imports into the EU may now contain portions of T45 rapeseed.
Food and feed products with accidental, technically unavoidable
admixtures under the legal threshold of 0.9 percent of this
rapeseed do not require labelling.
In a vote
by the Council of Environment Ministers, the T45 rapeseed ended
up failing to achieve approval from a qualified majority of
Member States – as has been the case with all other GM products
undergoing the authorisation process. The EU Commission had
recommended approval based on a scientific risk assessment
carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which
found no indication of risk. In such cases, the EU Commission is
committed by European agreement to invoke valid statutory
provisions. As all authorisation requirements had been complied
with, the import of T45 rapeseed was approved.
See also on
GMO Compass:
Further
information:
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