EU Commission backs GM maize, ministers to decide

The European Commission backed a proposal to allow imports of a genetically modified (GM) maize type, the first step towards lifting the EU's five-year unofficial ban on new GM crops and products.

"Bt-11 has been adopted by the Commission to be forwarded to Council," Commission spokeswoman Beate Gminder said.

EU ministers now have three months to consider the proposal to allow imports of the maize, known as Bt-11 and marketed by Swiss agrochemicals giant Syngenta. If they cannot agree by then, the Commission may rubberstamp its own proposal.

The United States, backed by Canada and Argentina, has challenged the EU's GMO ban at the World Trade Organisation, saying the EU is acting illegally. Farmers in the United States say the ban costs them millions of dollars a year in lost sales.

What is genetic modification?

Following are some facts about genetically modified organisms:

¤ Genetic modification is a technique where individual genes can be copied and transferred to another living organism. It changes the genetic makeup by adding or removing specific characteristics.

¤ GM crops are plants that have been genetically altered to improve resistance to diseases caused by insects or viruses and to increase tolerance towards herbicides or extreme weather conditions.

¤ One of the best-known examples is GM soya which is tolerant to the herbicide glyphosate. It allows for better weed control and fewer lost plants.

¤ Supporters of GM technology say it will lower costs, increase yields, decrease the need for chemicals and help to feed a hungry world.

¤ Opponents are concerned about the health risks and the threat to the environment, saying not enough studies have been done to prove it is safe and will not harm natural species.

¤ The United States is the world leader in biotech crops, with gene-spliced varieties accounting for 75 per cent of US soybeans, 71 per cent of cotton and 34 per cent of corn.

¤ The European Union has not allowed the experimental or commercial growth of any new gene crops since October 1998, by which stage 18 GM plant varieties had been approved, including maize, rapeseed, chicory and soybeans.

¤ But as consumer fears grew in the late 1990s, EU states including Austria, France, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg banned already approved GM crops.

¤ EU governments also restricted GM field trials, and between 1998 and 2002 the number of GM crop trials dropped by nearly 90 per cent.

¤ The United States, with Argentina and Canada, decided to challenge the de facto EU ban within the World Trade Organisation. It said there was no scientific basis for the moratorium and that it was illegal.

Chronology of EU's ban on gene crops and foods

Following is a short history of the European Union's unofficial five-year moratorium on authorising new genetically modified organisms (GMOs), a policy that has been challenged in the World Trade Organisation.

The EU has not allowed the experimental or commercial growth of any new gene crops since October 1998, or the imports of new GM-based food products. Before this time, 18 GM plant varieties were approved, including maize, rapeseed, chicory and soybeans.

April 1998 - EU's last approvals of new GM food products.

October 1998 - EU authorises two biotech carnation varieties (to improve vase life and modify flower colour), the last live GM plants to win EU approval. The United States sees this as the point where the EU closes its doors to new GMOs - at this time, 18 GMOs are authorised for commercial release in the bloc.

June 1999 - France and Greece lead calls for de facto moratorium on new GMO approval at meeting of EU environment ministers and win backing from Italy, Denmark and Luxembourg. They are later joined by Belgium and Austria, forming a minority of EU states that can block any vote on a new approval.

January 2000 - European Commission adopts regulation that additives and flavourings have to be labelled if DNA or protein of GMO origin is present in the final product.

June 2000 - French Environment Minister Dominique Voynet insists on the need for a liability scheme for biotech products.

July 2000 - EU environment ministers say they will support the moratorium at least until proposals are presented for labelling and tracing GMO content in biotech products.

July 2001 - European Commission presents labelling and traceability proposals.

October 2002 - Updated "deliberate release" directive enters into force, regulating the release of live GMOs into the environment. This repeals previous legislation dating from 1991. The updated directive sets down a step-by-step approvals process for GMOs or products containing GMOs, and tightens controls on traceability and labelling.

May 2003 - United States announces its intention to file a complaint against the EU's unofficial ban on GMOs at the World Trade Organisation.

July 2003 - EU adopts strict rules on labelling and tracing all GM food and feed which will apply in member states by mid-April 2004 at the latest. The labelling threshold for GMO content in non-GM food is set at 0.9 per cent.

July 2003 - European Commission issues guidelines on how to grow and separate GM crops in Europe's fields to minimise the spread of GMOs to organic and conventional crop cultivation.

August 2003 - United States, Canada and Argentina challenge the EU over its de facto moratorium on GMOs at the WTO, arguing that the ban is illegal and without any scientific foundation.

September 2003 - European Commission rejects a request by the regional government of Upper Austria to ban the cultivation of GM crops and create a GMO-free zone.

October 2003 - European Commission delays debate on its proposed seed purity rules setting GMO content in conventional and organic seeds after EU states demand stricter safety checks. The proposed thresholds range from 0.3 to 0.7 per cent. A vote is now expected for early 2004.

November 2003 - The government of Upper Austria says it will challenge the Commission's ruling on its proposed GMO-free zone at the Court of First Instance - the EU's second highest court.

November 2003 - EU committee fails to agree on proposal to authorise imports of Bt-11 maize, a GM sweetcorn food product whose seeds are made by Swiss agrochemicals giant Syngenta.

January 2004 - European Commission approves Bt-11 maize proposal, giving EU ministers three months to consider the issue and reach a final decision.