EU votes on GM canola seed approval

The European Union's Agricultural Council is voting today whether or not to approve the Bayer CropScience InVigor event, a genetically modified seed that represents 39 per cent of Canada's canola crop.

Canola is a genetic variation of B. napus with low levels of the natural rapeseed toxins glucosinolate and erucic acid, developed through conventional plant breeding. Canola is grown for its seed, which represents a major source of edible vegetable oil and is also used in livestock feeds.

Reuters reports that the ruling could have a major significance. Canada is already the largest exporter of canola, into Europe for industrial use, but it is not permitted to export the seed until all genetically modified canola events are approved.

The issue of GM approval within the EU is one of the most contentious in agriculture. The recent announcement that US authorities had traced amounts of unapproved genetically modified (GM) food in samples of rice prompted the EU to clamp down on all imports from the US.

The immediacy of this action illustrated the stringent controls the EU has in place to guard against unauthorised products entering the food chain, and also reflected consumer fears over the technology.

But the possibility of certain GM foods gaining market acceptance is slowly improving, as evidenced by today's vote. Bayer expects that the vote will result in neither a qualified majority for nor against the issue, but that the debate will pass onto the European Commission where the decision will be made on the recommendation of EFSA.

Other GM products are also edging closer to achieving market acceptance. Biotech giant Monsanto's GMO Roundup Ready canola for example is now in the post-approval process.

Many Member States, and millions of European consumers, remain steadfastly against the introduction of GM food. But despite the stringent controls in place, it is becoming harder for Europe's regulatory authorities to deny market access to certain GM products.

The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was the WTO decision earlier this year that the EU and six member states had broken trade rules by barring entry to GM crops and foods.

The world trade organisation agreed with the United States, Argentina and Canada that an effective moratorium on GMO imports between June 1999 and August 2003 had been put in place. And although Brussels again began authorising imports of GMOs in May 2004, only seven crops and foods were the green light. Further bans were imposed by France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg and Greece.

The pro-GM nations argued these prohibitions were not scientifically justified and thus contrary to WTO rules. The US food industry has persistently said that the EU ban has cost them some $300 million a year in lost sales.

It is clear that Member States still need to be convinced that introducing genetically modified ingredients into food production is acceptable. The Commission has asked EU members over ten times to vote on authorising a GMO food or feed product, but in the large majority of cases, there was no agreement or simple deadlock.

Luxembourg, Greece and Austria consistently vote against GMO approvals.