Prodi contemplates moving GMOs to consumer dossier

Date: 09/09/1999

By Simon Coss

SPECULATION is mounting that the European Commission's environment department could soon be stripped of responsibility for controlling the EU-wide authorisation and sale of genetically modified crops.

The Directorate-General for environmental policy is currently in charge of overseeing the licensing procedures for all new strains of the controversial plant varieties. But under reform plans being considered by incoming Commission President Romano Prodi, this responsibility could be transferred to the institution's new health and consumer affairs department.

Supporters of the move say it would allow the Commission to house all officials dealing with GMOs under one roof instead of the present set-up under which policy is spread across three departments.

Aside from the environment department, which handles crop licensing, the Directorate-General for industry is in charge of rules concerning processed foods sold in Europe's super-markets while the agriculture department is responsible for drawing up legislation on animal feed.

In the past, this situation has often led critics to accuse the Commission of failing to speak with one voice on the issue. "The Commission has always said it believed in a 'from the stable to the table' approach to GMO policy but to make this work, you need a coordinated approach," said one official in the Directorate-General for consumer affairs.

But not everyone is so convinced that stripping the environment department of responsibility for GMOs would be a good idea. Within the department itself, officials are eager to hold on to all of their existing competences and stress that the idea is still being discussed.

"It is true that Prodi said this issue would have to be examined by the new Commission, but as far as I know no decision has been taken," said one of the department's most senior officials.

One person who would certainly be unhappy with the idea of moving GM policy out of the environment department is incoming Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström. During her confirmation hearing at the European Parliament last week, she made it abundantly clear that she felt her department should keep control of GMO licensing issues.

However, Wallström's apparent confidence that she will remain the Commission's GM-supremo was thrown into question by comments made by Consumer Affairs Commissioner-designate David Byrne during his parliamentary grilling.

Byrne, who is set to 'win' responsibility for GMO licensing policy if the suggested changes go ahead, did not refer directly to the rumoured internal shake-up. But he did say he was planning to resurrect proposals on the labelling of GM animal feed, indicating that he too is eager to become involved in the biotechnology debate.