EU deadlocks on use of modified corn for food

July 20, 2004

European Union governments deadlocked yesterday on an application to allow imports of a herbicide-resistant corn for human consumption, but the bloc's executive body approved the same product's use for animal feed.

The opposing decisions reflect continuing divisions on genetically modified crops, despite the lifting last spring of Europe's de facto moratorium on new products.

EU agriculture ministers failed to get a majority for or against allowing Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready corn, which is widely grown in the United States and elsewhere, to be imported for food or food ingredients, officials said. The application did not cover cultivation.

Roundup Ready corn, which is engineered to resist the U.S. company's Roundup herbicide, received a clean bill of health from the European Food Safety Authority last year.

"Its safety is, therefore, not in question, and neither is the question of user or consumer choice," said EU Environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, who backed the application. Strict labeling laws for genetically modified products went into effect across the EU last April.

Nine EU countries — Latvia, Denmark, Cyprus, Malta, Italy, Greece, Austria, Portugal and Luxembourg — voted against the license. Nine others — Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and Britain — voted in favor.

Hungary, Slovenia, Germany and Spain abstained, while Estonia and Poland expressed no view.

Environment ministers split along similar lines last month when considering Roundup Ready corn imports for animal feed.

That application was approved yesterday by the EU's executive Commission. Under EU rules, if ministers don't agree in 90 days, the commission decides.

However, imports for feed can't start until the equivalent approval has been granted for food. That means they will have to wait until after Sept. 29, when the food application is expected to go back to the commission.

The political stalemate highlights continuing unease in Europe over biotech foods despite the resumption in May of new approvals, which had been on hold for six years due to public fears about perceived health and environmental risks.

After a similar deadlock, the commission approved a biotech variety of corn made by Switzerland's Syngenta AG for import and sale, but not cultivation.