Europe slams GMO “compromise” proposal

Political groups in the European Parliament united across the board to reject a proposal on GMO legislation from the EU Commission.

The proposal was apparently a thinly veiled attempt to break the opposition against GMOs and their allowance into the food and feed market. This attempt followed an equally bad proposal to facilitate GMO crop production.

The Parliamentary vote focused on the ability of Member States to opt-out of GMO food and feed at this time.

Several speakers pointed out that it has already been a year since President Juncker agreed to democratize the EU’s GMO authorization procedures and that this new proposal from the Commission is not at all democratic. What this new proposal would do is to merely put Member States in murky waters if they do elect to opt-out of GMO food and feed. You see, the other Member States could quite easily challenge any other Member State’s decision as regards to opting-out, on the grounds that it may negatively impact the internal market.

Even with widespread rejection of GMO food and feed across Europe, GM products continue to make their way into the marketplace indirectly. The current proposals for GMO regulation and authorization are vague at best, and while the Commission has promised that there will be a better way, this newest proposal leaves a lot to be desired in the eyes of the people.

Source:

TheEcologist.org