EU Authorizes 17 GMOs for Food and Feed

Hot on the heels of its proposal to permit member states to reject the import of genetically modified crops for food and feed, the European Commission has authorized 10 new GMOs for this purpose, renewed seven existing authorizations and allowed the importation of two GMO cut flowers.

In a statement, the Commission pointed out that the products all had gone through a full authorization procedure, including a favorable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The permits do not extend to crop cultivation.

The GMOs approved today had received "no opinion" votes from member states in both the Standing and Appeal Committees, as no qualified majority had been reached either in favor or against the import. Authorizations had not been granted during the past months while a review of the decision-making procedure on GMO - announced on Apr. 2 - was in progress, the EU regulatory agency said.

Until the new proposal is adopted by Parliament and Council, the authorization process will continue to be based on the current applicable legislative framework, the Commission pointed out.

The GM food and feed authorizations will be added to the existing list of 58 GMOs authorized in the EU for food and feed uses (covering maize, cotton, soybean, oilseed rape, sugar beet) and are valid for 10 years.

Any products made from these GMOs will be subject to the EU's labelling and traceability rules. All but one of the food and feed products is manufactured by GMO giant Monsanto. One, a cotton product, is made by Bayer.

The cut flowers, carnations, are manufactured by an Australian company, Florigene.