European Food Safety Authority Criticised for GMO Bias

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European Food Safety Authority Criticised for GMO Bias

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Thu, 27 Apr 2006 17:51:05 +0100

 

 

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This article can be found on the I-SIS website at

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/EFSACRGMOB.php

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ISIS Press Release 27/04/06

 

European Food Safety Authority Criticised for GMO Bias

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European Commission Introduces Wide-ranging Changes in

Approval Process

 

A window of opportunity for a comprehensive GM ban.

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

 

The role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is to

carry out scientific assessment on food products proposed

for the market in order to ensure that they are safe for

human and animal consumption and for release into the

environment. When the EFSA is satisfied that the products

are safe, it gives a " positive opinion " , which, in the past,

would almost certainly have resulted in product approval,

despite dissenting opinions from national regulatory

authorities.

 

The EFSA has been long been accused of bias towards the

biotech industry, not just by civil society organisations,

but by EU member states, including Austria, the current

holder of the rotating EU Presidency. They criticise it for

" GMO bias " and say it has approved GM products without

proper research.

 

On 12 April 2006, the European Commission decided to

introduce " practical changes " to the EFSA's GMO approval

process " so that the scientific consistency and transparency

of its decisions on GMOs will be improved. "

 

The Commission " invites " the EFSA to fully cooperate with

member states' national scientific bodies, to provide them

with a detailed justification in case it rejects scientific

objections raised by the national authorities, and to

clarify which specific protocols should be used by

applicants for scientific studies to demonstrate the safety

of the proposed products. The Commission is set to reserve

itself the right to suspend the authorisation procedure and

refer back " important new scientific questions " raised by

the member states that are not fully addressed by the EFSA

opinion. Applicants and the EFSA will also be asked to

address more explicitly the potential long-term effects on

health and biodiversity in their risk assessments for

placing GMOs on the market.

 

The changes were based on proposals by Health and Consumer

Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou and Environment

Commissioner Stavros Dimas, and adopted by the European

Commission after discussions with member states and other

stakeholders.

 

The Commission's move to reform the EFSA was generally

welcomed by the NGOs. But Greenpeace Europe wants EFSA to be

immediately subject to mandatory guidelines on how to

evaluate the risks of GMOs, and further, calls for

suspension of the current authorisation process and for re-

assessment of EFSA's previous opinions on GMOs.

 

The industry group, EuropaBio welcomes most of the proposals

except the one that gives the Commission the right to

suspend the authorisation procedure and refer back the

question if a member state raises new scientific questions

not fully addressed by the EFSA opinion. " I find this point

very confusing and wonder how the Commission will do this

`in the existing legal framework', as it says it will, " said

Simon Barber from EuropaBio.

 

More importantly, this creates an opening for all

independent scientists and civil society to submit new

evidence to the European Commission that could result in a

ban on all GMOs if the evidence is taken at all seriously

(see for example, " GM ban long overdue, dozens ill & five

deaths in the Philippines " SiS 29, and many articles in

recent issues of SiS http://www.i-sis.org.uk/isisnews.php).

 

ISIS will be collating new evidence over the next couple of

months; so please send us any information you think relevant

to gmhazards

 

Sources " Commission for more transparency on GMO decisions.

EuroActiv.com 12 April 2006,

http://www.euractiv.com/en/biotech/commission-transparency-

gmo-decisions/article-154355

 

" Comission proposes practical improvements to the way the

European GMO legislative framework is implemented. Europa

Press Release, 12 April 2006,

http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?refere

nce=IP/06/498 & format=HTML & aged=0 & language=EN & guiLanguage=en

 

 

 

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This article can be found on the I-SIS website at

http://www.i-sis.org.uk/EFSACRGMOB.php

 

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