Wallström’s bid to end GMO moratorium under fire

Date: 09/12/1999

By Simon Coss

ENVIRONMENT Commissioner Margot Wallström's call for the Union to implement new licensing rules for genetically modified crops before they have been officially adopted by governments and MEPs has been greeted with widespread scepticism.

National officials, parliamentarians and biotechnology sector representatives have all voiced concern over Wallström's suggestion that the EU should implement a provisional version of planned new rules on the procedure for handling licence applications immediately.

The Commissioner suggested the move late last month as a way of ending the de facto moratorium on licensing new GM products until the new rules are in place which was introduced by Union environment ministers at talks in June. Wallström is concerned that this effective ban is illegal under Union law and that she will soon have to start taking member states to court if it is not lifted.

EU governments have already reached agreement in principle on proposals to update the licensing rules contained in the directive known as 90/220, and it is this deal that Wallström would like to see adopted unofficially straight away.

But critics point out that the accord still needs to be formally approved by member states, debated by the European Parliament's environment committee, voted on by the full assembly, and probably haggled over in a series of 'conciliation' talks between MEPs and national officials before finally becoming law.

UK Socialist MEP David Bowe, the Parliament's rapporteur on the plans to update 90/220, argues that if any new crops were to be approved before the revised rules have been adopted, they should be assessed under the current legislation. But he warns that this would be extremely unpopular with the public and says it would therefore be better to wait until the new rules are in place.

National governments have also reacted coolly to Wallström's suggestion.

The biotechnology industry has expressed reservations about complying with unfinished rules, although two 'life science' firms - Monsanto and AgrEvo - said this summer that they would be prepared to discuss ways of respecting the draft legislation.

"We are certainly keen to do anything that is responsible but I think the industry could have problems trying to comply with terms that have not been fully defined yet," said a spokesman for industry lobby group Europabio. These, he said, include the idea of 'traceability': the principle that GM crops should contain genetic 'trade marks' which would make them traceable back to their creators at any point in the food chain.

Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström's call for the Union to implement new licensing rules for genetically modified crops before they have been officially adopted by governments and MEPs has been greeted with widespread scepticism.