Industry targets MEPs ahead of crunch vote on GMOs

Date: 10/02/2000

By Simon Coss

IF all goes according to plan, the EU should finally have a new set of rules in place to govern the sale of crops and seeds containing genetically modified organisms by the end of this year.

The debate surrounding plans update the 1990 EU directive (90/220), which sets out the Union's current GM licensing rules, has been one of the most heated in Europe's corridors of power for many years. It has pitted the continent's biotechnology industry against a consumer and environmental lobby which has become increasingly sceptical about the EU's ability to protect public health in the wake of a series of food safety scandals, including the BSE crisis and last year's dioxin scare.

The industry has complained repeatedly that it has been unfairly associated with scares which have nothing to with its products, and there is no firm evidence that GM food is dangerous. But the vast majority of EU citizens appear to have made up their minds that they do not want anything to do with GMOs and have made sure that their elected representatives are aware of their feelings.

Nearly all impartial observers agree that if the current version of the new 90/220 is adopted, it will represent a victory for the consumer lobby over industry interests. The draft text now on the table was agreed by environment ministers last June when Union-wide fears about the possible dangers of Frankenstein foods were at fever pitch. Indeed, ministers were so aware of the need to be seen to be taking tough action on GMOs that they also agreed to suspend all approvals of new GM products until the updated licensing rules had been introduced. The European Commission warned that this was illegal under EU law, but the ministers stood firm and the de facto moratorium on GM approvals is still in place.

The industry is now focusing its lobbying efforts on the European Parliament as it tries to convince MEPs to water down the text agreed by governments ahead of a crunch vote in the environment committee on the proposals next month. If the committee, backed by the full Parliament, calls for significant changes to the text, a round of lengthy conciliation talks between EU governments and the Parliament will ensue.

Biotech industry lobby group EuropaBio has indictated it would actually be quite keen for this to happen. Experts argue that the current version of the new law would be so tough on the sector that any changes could only be an improvement from its point of view. It is therefore in EuropaBio's interest for negotiations to drag on as long as possible, as every extra day represents a fresh lobbying opportunity.

If all goes according to plan, the EU should finally have a new set of rules in place to govern the sale of crops and seeds containing genetically modified organisms by the end of 2000. The debate surrounding plans to update the 1990 EU Directive 90/220, which sets out the Union's current GM licensing rules, has been one of the most heated in Europe's corridors of power for many years. It has pitted the continent's biotechnology industry against a consumer and environmental lobby which has become increasingly sceptical about the EU's ability to protect public health in the wake of a series of food safety scandals, including the BSE crisis and the 1999 dioxin scare. Article forms part of a survey 'Environment'.