The EU has approved the cultivation of the genetically modified Amflora potato, sparking protests across Europe.
The potato, produced by BASF and modified to contain a higher percentage of starch, has been approved by EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli.
The decision is the first approval for a GM crop to be grown on a commercial scale in Europe for 12 years and was criticised by environmentalists.
It is expected to be mostly grown in Germany for industrial purposes like the paper industry, but not food.
The potato is said to have a characteristic - resistance to an antibiotic - in direct violation of EU Directive 2001/18.
This is the first time GM has been grown on a commercial scale in Europe. Dalli said the EC’s latest decision was "based on a considerable volume of sound science".
But Slow Food International claims behaviour of this sort only widens the gulf between the European Commission and the member states, which are feeling increasingly less represented.
Carlo Petrini, president of Slow Food International, said: "When BASF started to experiment with this GM potato, they said it would be used predominantly for industrial purposes, but the authorisation now also includes its use in animal feed. This means that its antibiotic-resistant characteristic will also be introduced into the human food chain.
"It is very serious, that this commissioner’s first action is to break an indisputable moratorium introduced precisely out of concern for our health. This demonstrates how the issue is being decided on the basis of the economic interests of the multi-nationals, without taking into consideration the as-yet-unknown dangers to public health.”
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