*Update with the Environment Ministers Council* Agreement on GMO approval overhaul

On the 5th of June 2008, the EU environment ministers decided that risk assessment procedures within the GMO evaluation and authorisation system needed to be improved. They also agreed on the need of a longer-term discussion on GMOs’ effects on the environment.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has provided scientific advice in this area. It is now necessary to strengthen EFSA’s capacity to evaluate risks and consider the changes in agricultural practices and local geographic conditions, according to European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas.

An expert group will be formed to develop ideas that will become the basis of discussion at a later meeting of environment ministers.

A French proposal of a review of the food safety body’s expertise was accepted unanimously. The French minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, stressed at the same time that the review would not lead to the banning of GMOs. He still wanted to see the commercialisation of GMOs, except where the products present a clear danger to health.

Stavros Dimas stated that the review would probably result in a greater role for member states with regards to involvement and responsibility in assessing the safety of GMOs.

Environmental campaigners welcomed the move and as Marco Contiero from Greenpeace Europe said: "It is now clear that the authorisation process must be halted until risk assessment procedures are truly independent and compliant with EU legal requirements."

Earlier this year the green group and Friends of the Earth called for EFSA to be reformed. They complained that EFSA is understaffed and lacking in appropriate expertise. Added to which, some member states have expressed concerns about EFSA being biased, ’giving the nod’ to GMOs without the necessary research.

*Update*

On 11 Septembre, the Joint Research Centre, the European Union’s scientific and technical research laboratory, released a study on the health impact of GM foods. While admitting that “little is known about the potential long term health effects” of GM foods, it said foods put forward for regulatory approval to date had not had harmful effects.

This report is “extremely disappointing” because it ignored controversy among the scientific community about the risk posed by GM organisms and it would help to allay misconceptions in the public over the safety of GM foods.

This report comes just at the time when the Commission has now authorised soybeans A25704-12 to be brought to Europe to be used in food or animal feed for the next 10 years.

A majority of Europeans – about 58 per cent – are opposed to the use of GM organisms according to a Eurobarometer survey published by Brussels in March. The survey also found people felt they “lacked information”.

*Update* Environment Ministers Back New GMO Impact Rules, Fight Over Status

On 20 October 2008, EU envrionment ministers continued to disagree on whether member states should be allowed to establish GMO-free zones for sensitive areas, although they did concur on the need for better long-term environmental risk assessment of GMOs.

Following a number of informal discussions earlier this summer, the EU-27 environment ministers debated the bloc’s GMO authorisation procedure in a Council meeting on 20 October.

But Member States clashed on the issues of protecting sensitive and protected territories and establishing GMO-free zones. Some delegations underlined that the current legislative framework already allows for such protection measures if there is scientific evidence of risk.

Others would like to retain control of their national territories and see the subsidiarity principle better respected in this regard, allowing them to establish GMO-free zones for sensitive eco and agro-systems.

According to the French Presidency, the ministers agreed on the need for better long-term environmental risk assessment. Several delegations also said the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) guiding principles should be revised. Its safety assessments would always take account of the latest research findings as scientific knowledge evolves.

As for including socio-economic considerations in the GMO authorisation process (such as cost-benefit analysis of the possible consequences of GMO seeds entry into the overall agricultural system), ministers described this as both an "important" and a "complex" issue. They underlined that if such criteria were to be considered, they would need to respect EU’s obligations vis-à-vis the World Trade Organisation. Furthermore, some member states underlined that such measures would never replace scientific evaluation as the main authorisation criteria.

The ministers also underlined that there was no exact definition of socio-economic criteria linked to GMOs. Therefore, an EU-level methodology framework could be elaborated to identify and evaluate such criteria.

For further information

 EFSA website

 EFSA website on GMOs

 Greenpeace website on GMOs

 Friends of the Earth Europe website

 French Environment Ministry website

EPHA related articles

 EPHA communicated position on GMOs to all Commissioners, May 2008
 Commission delays approval of an antibiotics resistant potato after strong joint action by Greenpeace, supported by EPHA
 EFSA: food can pass resistant bacteria to people
 New proposal to revise the EU law on Novel Foods