Six GMO maize events sail through commission

30.07.10 Brussels - The European Commission approved the import of six types of genetically modified (GM) maize - after the usual deadlock on national levels. The European Commission has granted "authorization for food and feed uses, and import and processing, but not for cultivation," the Brussels-based body said in a statement. The newly approved maize are from Pioneer (1507x59122, 59122x1507xNK603), Monsanto (MON88017xMON810, MON89034xNK603) and Syngenta (Bt11xGA21, Bt11).
Syngenta's Bt11 was up for renewal. The types of GM maize are authorized for the next 10 years. Any company using them will have to label its product as containing GM material. The decisions open the way for fresh imports of the approved corn varieties from countries such as the United States, Brazil and Argentina. Last month, the Commission proposed an overhaul of the bloc’s rules on the cultivation of modified organisms which, if approved, would allow member states to decide whether to allow or prohibit such crops in their territories. This is seen as an attempt of the Commission to speed up GMO-related decisions. In June, the Commission told E.U. governments that failure to approve the varieties could lead to a repeat of last year’s disruption to animal feed imports. Besides the approval of GMO variants, the EU is also rethinking ist tolerance margins on unapproved material. The commission has said it will propose a small tolerance margin for unapproved material in imports later this year, but until then the only solution is for the Union to approve varieties individually for import.