A hugely significant development in GM regulation means EU member states could have the right to ban, or permit, the cultivation or sale of a GM product, even if EU regulators have approved it.
The vote, taken by the 28 member states today, has been met with fears from UK campaign groups and trade bodies, who say that, as a result, England could become a central GM country in Europe.
According to the new proposals, member states can either restrict the geographical scope of a GM application before it has been authorised, or ‘opt out’ post-authorisation.
Member states also retain the right to opt-out regardless of the applicants’ views.
Policy director at the Soil Association, Peter Melchett, warned that the decision means that a pro-GM secretary of state like Owen Paterson could now take the step to make England a ‘GM country’.
“This will lead to farmers losing export markets to the rest of Europe, and indeed to most of the rest of the world, as Russia has recently proposed banning GM imports, and China has said they will not grow GM food,” he said.
“Once that decision is taken, and GM crops are established, it will be extremely difficult for any future government to adopt a different position.
“Indeed, the current proposal suggests that it may be legally very difficult for future governments to disallow a GM crop once it has been agreed for that country.”
Melchett said that if the proposals are finally adopted, most countries in the EU, including Scotland and Wales, will remain GM free, whereas England risks getting a reputation as the GM centre of Europe.
When asked by FPJ, UK secretary of state Owen Paterson said the move is a real step forward in unblocking the dysfunctional EU process for approving GM crops.
“Resolving the gridlock in Europe will boost scientific research and investment in the UK.If the European Parliament passes this law, all regions of the UK will have more power in deciding whether to grow GM crops that have passed a robust, independent safety assessment,” he said.
European commissioner Tonio Borg said: “I am delighted to announce that the Environment Council has just broken the deadlock on the GMO cultivation proposal and has reached a political agreement that moves towards a new legal basis giving member states the choice to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs on their territory.
“Today’s political agreement meets member states’ consistent calls since 2009 to have more flexibility and legal certainty for national decisions on cultivation on their territory or part of their territory.”
But director of campaign group GM Freeze, Liz O’Neill, said: “The idea of national opt-outs may sound appealing, but you have to look at the detail. In order to ban a GM crop on its own land each government would need to begin by negotiating with the company that owns the patent for that crop.
“GM Freeze believes that our food should be produced responsibly, fairly and sustainably. History shows that you don’t achieve that by handing over control to multinational corporations.'
O’Neill said that two varieties of Roundup Ready maize, modified to withstand spraying with Monsanto's herbicide Roundup, are in the pipeline for EU authorisation, and the move to give power to member states could see them grown in England by next Spring.
The EU said the new proposal will not affect EU-wide GM risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which will remain unchanged.
The European Parliament still has to approve today's decision. Online news outlet, DW, reported that Belgium and Luxembourg were the only states to vote against the new proposals.
Luxembourg's environment minister, Carole Dieschbourg, expressed concern that some member states could now opt to approve many new GM foods, the site reported.
