Call for more research into modified seed

Date: 25/07/1996

By Michael Mann

THE European Commission has stepped back from approving a controversial new biotechnology product against the wishes of most member states.

Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard has asked three specialist scientific committees to investigate whether there is any evidence that the commercial use of a genetically-modified maize seed poses a risk to human health.

The product, developed by Swiss firm Ciba-Geigy, has been the centre of a political storm since a majority of environment ministers spoke out last month against granting it a licence.

The Commission was expected to use its own powers to push ahead and license the product unless all 15 member states voted within three months to stop it. But since the last meeting of environment ministers on 25-26 June, Austria has sent the Commission new evidence suggesting potential risks if the maize is given the go-ahead for on-farm use.

The Scientific Committee for Food, the Scientific Committee on Animal Nutrition and the Scientific Committee for Pesticides will now have until the end of August to decide whether there are any risks to human or animal health or to the environment.

Depending on their findings, the Commission will either bring forward an entirely new proposal or will allow the licence application to go ahead, but with an undertaking to monitor the effects of the product on the environment carefully.

Suggestions that the Commission would overrule member state opinion sparked a heated debate about a “democratic deficit” in the Union's decision-making process.