EU keeps zero tolerance on GM imports
The European Union for now will keep its “zero tolerance” policy on allowing the presence of unapproved varieties of genetically modified plants in imported food and animal feed, a spokeswoman for the European Commission said Monday.
Biotech companies, farmers and feed importers sought a change to the policy
because of concerns that imports with trace amounts of unapproved biotech plants
would be blocked from the E.U. The concern is particularly acute for soybeans:
the E.U. imports about 75% of its supply, and they form a crucial source of
protein in the diet of Europe’s livestock.
The E.U. is making progress
toward approving new plant varieties for import, said commission health
spokeswoman Nina Papdoulaki, citing the clearance of a biotech corn and soybean
in the last seven months. The commission also sent a biotech soybean – Roundup
Ready 2, developed by Monsanto Co. (MON) – to the European Council for approval,
putting it on track for final import clearance by next year’s harvest in the
fall.
“We believe with the authorization of these products, there won’t
be any need for a (policy change), at least for the time being,” Papadoulaki
said. The commission will continue to monitor the situation and may decide that
a change to the “zero tolerance” policy is in fact necessary, she
added.
