EU says its time to bite the bullet on GMO ban
A majority of ministers accepted that food or animal feed containing more than 0.9% of genetically altered ingredients should be automatically labelled.
They also agreed to a maximum permissible level of 0.5% for food and feed that accidentally contains unauthorised GMOs.
GMOs are banned in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg, since 1999. Only Britain voted against last Thursday, but under the qualified majority rule, it was unable to veto the accord. A British diplomat said that with current technology, it was impossible to test GMO levels under 1.0%.
Agriculture Council president Fischer Boel of Denmark had warned of the failure to reach an accord. “It is crucial that we do adopt a proposal, because we have now a situation where we have no labelling of foodstuffs and feed,” she told the meeting. But public disquiet about the technology is deeply entrenched.
Opinion polls by the Commission suggest 94% of EU citizens want the right to choose between GM and naturally grown foods, with nearly 60% fearful that genetically engineered crops could damage the environment and affect health.
In the US, the GMO industry has grown into a major player and US officials want a more relaxed approach from Europeans.
Washington has accused the EU of brewing famine in southern Africa because of its GMO stance. Several countries, including Zambia, have refused US food aid that may contain GMOs.
