National opt-outs on GMO imports would challenge single EU market

EXCERPT (item 3): "These moves on GMOs by the Commission cannot be seen in isolation from the ongoing EU-US TTIP negotiations. Just yesterday Bob Young, the chief lobbyist of the large American agro-businesses said that for the US 'geographical indicators and GM crops are red lines'. In other words Europe has to accept their wishes. This is unacceptable.”

1. Juncker breaks promise to make EU GMO decisions more democratic
2. Juncker's empty GMO offer – is TTIP already in force?
3. EU Commission continues down slippery slope of easing way for GMOs in Europe
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1. Juncker breaks promise to make EU GMO decisions more democratic

Greenpeace, April 22, 2015
http://www.greenpeace.org/eu-unit/en/Publications/2015/Juncker-breaks-promise-to-make-EU-GMO-decisions-more-democratic/

* National opt-outs on GMO imports would challenge single EU market

The European Commission published today a proposal to amend rules on EU imports of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The proposed reform would still allow the Commission to authorise the import of GMOs even where a majority of national governments, the European Parliament and the public oppose them. The proposal does not affect authorisation procedures for the cultivation of GMOs.

Commenting on the proposed review, Greenpeace EU food policy director Franziska Achterberg said: “The Commission’s proposal is a farce because it leaves the current undemocratic system untouched. It would allow the Commission to continue ignoring major opposition to GM crops, despite president Juncker’s promise to allow a majority of EU countries to halt Commission decisions on GMOs”.

The review is one of the objectives under Juncker’s ten priorities as Commission president. He committed to make the EU “more democratic” by, among other things, “reviewing the laws that oblige the Commission to authorise genetically modified organisms, even when a majority of national governments is against this”.

However, instead of changing the procedure for authorisation of GMO imports, the Commission wants to allow EU countries to opt out of imports into their territory, based on reasons other than health and environmental concerns.

“The Commission is offering EU countries a fake right to opt-out that won’t stand up in any court. EU free market rules will always trump national opt-outs for GMO imports, especially if governments are denied the possibility of justifying national measures on health and environmental grounds,” said Achterberg.

In recent months, pressure has been mounting from the biotech industry and the US government – particularly in the context of transatlantic trade agreement talks – to increase and speed up the number of authorisations for GMO imports and cultivation.[1]

Meat, eggs, and dairy products derived from livestock fed on GMOs do not have to be labelled under EU rules, denying consumers the right to choose.

Note:

[1] Greenpeace media briefing “Juncker’s ‘Union of democratic change’ undermined by corporate pressure on GM crops”.
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2. Juncker's empty GMO offer – is TTIP already in force?

Friends of the Earth Europe, 22 April 2015
http://www.foeeurope.org/junckers-empty-gmo-offer-220415#.VTd3_fzWngs.twitter

Friends of the Earth Europe has today strongly criticised the European Commission's new proposal for regulating genetically modified foods and feed, calling it an empty offer that does nothing to protect citizens or governments. The environment group accused President Juncker of breaking his promise to make decision-making more democratic and acting as if the controversial TTIP EU-US trade deal was already in place.

Mute Schimpf, food campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe, said:

"President Juncker has broken the promise he made to Europeans to improve the way GM foods are assessed. His new draft law is a smokescreen which fails to deal with the democratic deficit at the centre of the debate on GM foods. It is unacceptable that the European Commission will still be forcing GM foods onto the public at the biotech industry's bequest."

The proposal was announced to fulfil the promises of Commission President Juncker for more democratic procedures for the authorisation of GM food and feed. In previous votes a majority of member states have opposed GM products, but failed to get the necessary qualified majority, by default handing the decision over to the European Commission who then approves them.

The draft law promises to empower national governments to ban GM food and feed, but doesn't provide the legal grounds for them to do so, opening them up to possible legal challenges from biotech companies or the US government.

Mute Schimpf continued:

"In light of the ongoing trade talks with the US, European citizens need reassuring that the European Commission isn't about to sneak genetically modified foods onto their plates. With such a weak draft GMO law, you have to question whether President Juncker believes that the TTIP is already in force."

Last weekend more than 600 protests took place across the EU against the proposed transatlantic trade deal, which food campaigners claim the US government is using to try to force through more GM foods into the EU.
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3. EU Commission continues down slippery slope of easing way for GMOs in Europe

The Greens in the European Parliament, 22 Apr 2015
http://www.greens-efa.eu/gmo-approvals-13864.html

The European Commission today presented a proposal for a new scheme of renationalising decisions on GMOs in the EU. The proposals would introduce the possibility for EU member states to restrict trade of GMOs within their territory without touching the authorisation procedure for GMOs as such. Commenting on the proposals, Green food safety spokesperson Bart Staes said:

“The Juncker Commission is continuing down the slippery slope of easing the way for GMOs in Europe. The proposed new scheme for authorising food and feed containing GMOs follows the same logic of the recent revision of rules for authorising genetically-modified crops for cultivation.

“By providing the 'carrot' to EU member states to opt out of European level authorisations, it is clear that the Commission is looking to make the decision-making process on EU authorisations easier. This is a completely wrong-headed approach to take to address the situation at hand.

“Commission president Juncker promised to make the EU’s GMO authorisation process more democratic; there is a fundamental difference between a more democratic authorisation scheme and a scheme that will make it easier to reach decisions on EU authorisations. Making the process more democratic would imply changing the current model, both to reflect the consistent opposition of a clear majority of EU citizens to GMOs and to ensure that the Commission cannot push ahead with the authorisation when a majority of EU member states votes against an authorisation.

"Instead of just applying the same unsatisfactory model for GMO cultivation authorisation to food and feed imports, there is a need to introduce a coherent democratic authorisation system that applies to both imports and cultivation. We will now fight for a real 'democratisation' of the authorisation process when the European Parliament and Council decide on the final legislation.

“It is also deeply cynical that the Commission is planning to usher through the authorisation of 17 GMOs in the coming week at the same time as it is acknowledging that the current authorisation system is flawed. This casts serious doubt over the motivations of the Commission. The Commission should be heeding the legitimate concerns of European citizens, rather than bowing to the demands of biotech corporations.

"These moves on GMOs by the Commission cannot be seen in isolation from the ongoing EU-US TTIP negotiations. Just yesterday Bob Young, the chief lobbyist of the large American agro-businesses said that for the US 'geographical indicators and GM crops are red lines'. In other words Europe has to accept their wishes. This is unacceptable.”