Brussels, Belgium
24 April 2015

“We welcome that, after a standstill of one year and half, the European Commission has finally decided to authorise imports of safe products in accordance with democratically agreed procedures and with scientific evidence,” said Beat Späth, Director of agricultural biotechnology at EuropaBio, the European Association of BioIndustries.

“European livestock farmers in particular benefit hugely from internationally traded GM crops for their animal feed, and it is important to grant them freedom of choice. We hope the Commission will now normalise what has become a dysfunctional approval process and continue approving upcoming applications. There are over 40 additional GMO applications for import still pending in the system, which should be examined and processed without undue delay”,he added.

The biotech industry firmly believes that failing to support the EU’s own best science is the single most damaging element for growth, innovation, investment as well as consumer confidence and safety.

In the context of its legislative proposal on national restrictions or prohibitions of the use of genetically modified food and feed (a proposal that EuropaBio and the European food and feed chain firmly reject), the Commission stated on 22 April:

• “all EU-authorised GMOs have been proved to be safe before their placing on the EU market[1]”.
• "If the result of the vote in the Appeal Committee is “No opinion”, the Commission is required by the GMO legal framework and by the Charter of Fundamental Rights to adopt a decision on the application.” [2]

References:

• Document “5 Reasons for the Commission to grant Europe’s livestock farmers freedom of choice”, EuropaBio, April 2015
• Info graphic “EU benefits from GM trade”, EuropaBio, April 2015
• Info graphic “EU Member States and GMOs – What they say and what they do”, EuropaBio, April 2015
• Press release, New Rules on GMO Trade Would End EU Internal Market, EuropaBio, 22/04/2015

About EuropaBio:

EuropaBio is the European Association of BioIndustries. Our members are involved in research, development, testing, manufacturing and commercialisation of biotech products and processes in human and animal healthcare, diagnostics, bioinformatics, chemicals, crop protection, agriculture, food and environmental products and services. EuropaBio also counts a number of National Biotech Associations in its membership who in turn represent more than 1800 biotech SMEs.

Website: http://www.europabio.org

Published: April 24, 2015