Companies seeking to grow genetically modified crops in Europe scored a significant victory when representatives from the 28 member states voted almost unanimously in favour of a proposal which would streamline the approval process for GM crop cultivation in the EU. According to diplomats individual countries will still have the ability to effectively impose national bans on the crops.
 
The proposal is widely seen as a compromise between countries opposed to GM cultivation such as France and Germany and member states in favour of their cultivation, such as Britain. It was supported by all of the country representatives aside from Belgium which abstained from the vote and is set to get formal approval at a meeting of Environment Ministers in Luxembourg on the 12th of June. It must subsequently be passed by the newly elected European parliament.
 
According to the proposal countries which disagree with the cultivation of GM crops will have to ask the European Commission to ask the companies seeking approval to exclude them from request for authorisation for new crops.
 
Representatives from countries on both sides of the debate praised the agreement. Britain’s farming and agriculture ministry said that the proposal, “should help unblock the dysfunctional EU process for approving GM crops for cultivation,” while representatives from France and Germany spoke positively of the capacity of individual countries to maintain bans on crops.
 
The European Commission was ‘cautiously optimistic’ that the new law could be adopted by the end of 2014 or early 2015.
 
However representatives of the industry which has invariably lobbied for less regulation on GM crops for the past 15 years were unhappy with the power it gives member states to prohibit the cultivation of their seeds.  
 
“To re-nationalize a common policy, based on non-objective grounds, is a negative precedent and contrary to the spirit of the single market,” said Andre Goig, Chair of EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries.
 
The question of ‘non-objective’ grounds cuts to the heart over the debate over GM crops. Industry representatives frequently cite the ‘lack’ of scientific evidence for dangers posed by GM crops to human health or the environment as proof of their safety. However it is scientifically impossible to conclusively prove a negative, especially given the lack of long-term studies. Given the importance of food crops to society and the environment many believe that the precautionary principle should be applied, something that the industry, of course, sees unfavourably. Other studies have also shown that rather than leading to reductions in use of pesticides, many GM crops actually promote their use  – particularly those herbicides sold by the same companies (such as Monsanto and DuPont) that produce the patented GM seeds.
 
For their part environmental NGO Friends of the Earth rejected the idea that the law would secure the ability of individual states to maintain bans on GM crops as the agreement would give companies ‘unprecedented power’ in approving any member states’ decisions to opt out of GM cultivation.
 
“The current proposals give biotech companies the legal right to decide whether a ban should be allowed,” according to a statement released by FoE. “If companies refuse, governments are forced to fall back on vague, non-scientific legal grounds upon which to ban GM crops, opening the door to legal challenges.”
 
Adrian Bebb, food campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe said: “It is an affront to democracy that companies like Monsanto will be given legal status in any decision to ban their products. Governments must be able to ban unwanted and risky GM crops without needing the permission of the companies who profit from them.”
 
“For more than 15 years national governments have fought against new GM crops and strongly defended their rights to ban them. This proposal is a poisoned chalice that fails to give member states the solid legal grounds to ban genetically modified crops.”