Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 2 • Number 16 • 24th October 2002

EU AGRICULTURE MINISTERS FAIL TO FINALISE GMO RULES

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EU AGRICULTURE MINISTERS FAIL TO FINALISE GMO RULES

The European Council of Agriculture Ministers at its 14-16 October meeting failed to reach agreement on the European Commission’s proposed labelling and traceability regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs), instead postponing the debate to next month’s Council meeting. Discussions on the EU’s GMO-related regulations also took place in the European Council of Environment Ministers on 17 October, where ministers reached agreement on proposed legislation to implement the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

Council of Agriculture Ministers

Disagreement persisted in the Council of Agricultural Ministers, inter alia, over how strict the labelling requirements for GMOs should be. While the UK opposed labelling of products derived from GMOs (as proposed by the Commission), others called for the proposed regulations to be tightened even further by including labelling for meat and dairy products from animals fed on GM feed.

Countries also disagreed over the labelling threshold for the accidental presence of GMOs. The European Commission had proposed a threshold of one percent, which was amended to 0.5 percent by the European Parliament at its last meeting (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 11 July 2002). However, some countries and civil society groups regard these thresholds as too high, instead calling for zero percent. Denmark, as the current EU president, put forward a compromise proposal for a three-year transition period on accidental GMO presence for GMOs, which had received a positive scientific assessment before 31 December 2002.

While the current de facto moratorium on the approval of new GMOs was not explicitly discussed in the meeting, there was a general understanding that the legislation was "the next step to lifting the moratorium", one Commission official noted.

Council of Environment Ministers

At the meeting of the Environment Council, Ministers reached political agreement on the European Commission’s proposed legislation to bring the EU in line with the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which regulates the transboundary movement of GMOs. A common position will be adopted at the next Council meeting after the text has been finalised. It will then be sent to the European Parliament for a second reading. The Parliament on 24 September had adopted the Commission’s proposal, including a number of amendments (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 26 September 2002).

The Council furthermore discussed the Commission’s proposed labelling and traceability regulations. Hans Christian Schmidt, Denmark’s Minister for the Environment and Council President, welcomed efforts made by delegations in addressing the last outstanding issues, stressing the importance of the regulations with regard to consumer protection as well as the EU’s external and trade policy.

ICTSD reporting; "EU deadlocked on GMO food control, mulls compromise," REUTERS, 15 October 2002; "EU puts off deal on biotech rules," AP, 10 October 2002; "2456th Council meeting - Agriculture and Fisheries," 12900/02 (PRESSE 309), 17 October 2002; "2457th Council meeting - Environment," 12976/02 (PRESSE 320), 17 October 2002.