Outcome NGT (new GMO) vote in EP Envi committee

The EP Envi committee has made the proposal of DG SANTE even worse! Rapporteur Polfjard introduced an unvalidated, even more radical deregulation approach based on the advice of a single professor.

Already, the Commission proposal meant a far-reaching deregulation, with criteria that lacked any scientific basis (Annex 1). The Commission proposal would remove any safety checks for around 94% of NGT plants currently in the pipeline, according to the German BfN. But the Rapporteur’s Compromise Amendment for Annex 1 makes the situation even worse by introducing a new and unvalidated approach, which would make safety checks a rare exception. 

Nina Holland of Corporate Europe Observatory comments: "Too many MEPs chose to ignore independent science on the risks of a mass roll out of new GM crops without sufficient safety checks, consumer labelling, traceability or liability rules. This is backsliding of environmental and health protection, just to please some big businesses."

MEPs of ECR, EPP and many Renew – such as Polfjard, Huitema - chose to listen to Bayer and BASF instead of to farmers, scientists and citizens. Citizen polls show a majority of people are in favour of safety rules and freedom of choice.

One positive exception is an amendment proposed by S&D MEP Clergeau demanding indoor safety checks on intended and unintended effects via whole genome sequencing, which was approved.

Contact:

Nina Holland

Corporate Europe Observatory

@nina_holland

Mobile: +32 466 294 420