BETA


2017/2675(RSP) Resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified cotton GHB119 (BCS-GHØØ5-8)

Progress: Procedure completed

RoleCommitteeRapporteurShadows
Lead ENVI PIETIKÄINEN Sirpa (icon: PPE PPE), BALAS Guillaume (icon: S&D S&D), MAZURONIS Valentinas (icon: ALDE ALDE), STAES Bart (icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE), EVI Eleonora (icon: EFDD EFDD) AYUSO Pilar (icon: PPE PPE), HUITEMA Jan (icon: ALDE ALDE)
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 112-p2

Events

2017/09/25
   EC - Commission response to text adopted in plenary
Documents
2017/05/17
   EP - Motion for a resolution
Documents
2017/05/17
   EP - Results of vote in Parliament
2017/05/17
   EP - Decision by Parliament
Details

The European Parliament adopted by 425 votes to 230, with 27 abstentions, a resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified cotton GHB119 (BCS-GHØØ5-8) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council.

The resolution was tabled by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

Parliament considered that the authorisation for import of genetically modified cotton GHB119 into the Union would undoubtedly lead to an increase in its cultivation in other parts of the world, with a corresponding increase in the use of glufosinate ammonium-based herbicide (to which cotton is resistant) and classified as toxic to reproduction.

Issues of concern : Members stressed that independent research raised concerns about major gaps in the comparative assessment, as well as the toxicology assessment. They recalled that many critical comments were submitted by Member States during the three-month consultation period. Those comments referred to, inter alia : (i) missing data as regards identification and quantification of the herbicide and metabolite residues in the GM plants and seeds used for food/feed, (ii) shortcomings in the environmental risk assessment, (iii) missing data as regards the germination power of the imported seed, as well as the fact that no unintended effects were taken into consideration.

In spite of all the above mentioned concerns, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) did not consider any post-market monitoring of food/feed derived from cotton GHB119 to be necessary.

Procedural aspects : Parliament recalled that since the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 , authorisation decisions have been adopted by the Commission without the support of the Member States’ committee opinion. Therefore, returning the dossier to the Commission for final decision, which is very much the exception for the procedure as a whole, has become the norm for decision-making on genetically modified food and feed authorisations.

In its resolution of 28 October 2015, Parliament rejected, at first reading, the legislative proposal of 22 April 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 and called on the Commission to withdraw it and submit a new one.

On the basis of these considerations, Parliament considered that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law , which is to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, the environment and consumer interests in relation to genetically modified food and feed, whilst ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market.

Therefore, Parliament called on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and suspend any implementing decision regarding applications for authorisation of genetically modified organisms until the authorisation procedure has been revised in such a way as to address the shortcomings of the current procedure, which has proven inadequate.

Documents
2017/05/17
   EP - End of procedure in Parliament
2017/04/06
   EP - PIETIKÄINEN Sirpa (PPE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2017/04/06
   EP - BALAS Guillaume (S&D) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2017/04/06
   EP - MAZURONIS Valentinas (ALDE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2017/04/06
   EP - STAES Bart (Verts/ALE) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI
2017/04/06
   EP - EVI Eleonora (EFDD) appointed as rapporteur in ENVI

Documents

Votes

B8-0293/2017 - Résolution #

2017/05/17 Outcome: +: 425, -: 230, 0: 27
IT FR EL HU AT DE PL RO LV HR BG SE DK PT LU CY MT IE EE SI BE LT SK NL FI ES GB CZ
Total
66
64
20
18
18
90
49
26
8
11
17
19
11
21
6
5
5
10
6
8
21
9
13
24
12
49
56
19
icon: S&D S&D
174

Latvia S&D

1

Croatia S&D

2

Luxembourg S&D

For (1)

1

Cyprus S&D

2

Malta S&D

3

Ireland S&D

For (1)

1

Estonia S&D

For (1)

1

Slovenia S&D

For (1)

1

Lithuania S&D

1

Netherlands S&D

3

Czechia S&D

3
icon: Verts/ALE Verts/ALE
50

Italy Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Hungary Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Austria Verts/ALE

3

Latvia Verts/ALE

1

Croatia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Denmark Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Estonia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Slovenia Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Belgium Verts/ALE

2

Lithuania Verts/ALE

For (1)

1

Netherlands Verts/ALE

2

Finland Verts/ALE

For (1)

1
icon: GUE/NGL GUE/NGL
47

Sweden GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Denmark GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

Cyprus GUE/NGL

2

Netherlands GUE/NGL

2

Finland GUE/NGL

For (1)

1

United Kingdom GUE/NGL

1

Czechia GUE/NGL

2
icon: ENF ENF
34

Poland ENF

2

Belgium ENF

For (1)

1

Netherlands ENF

3

United Kingdom ENF

Abstain (1)

1
icon: NI NI
15

Germany NI

For (1)

1

United Kingdom NI

Against (2)

Abstain (1)

3
icon: EFDD EFDD
30

Germany EFDD

1

Poland EFDD

1

Sweden EFDD

2

Lithuania EFDD

For (1)

1

Czechia EFDD

Against (1)

1
icon: ECR ECR
66

Italy ECR

2

Greece ECR

For (1)

1

Romania ECR

For (1)

1

Latvia ECR

For (1)

1

Croatia ECR

For (1)

1

Bulgaria ECR

2

Denmark ECR

2

Lithuania ECR

1

Slovakia ECR

Against (1)

3

Netherlands ECR

2

Finland ECR

Against (1)

2

Czechia ECR

2
icon: ALDE ALDE
63

Austria ALDE

Against (1)

1

Germany ALDE

For (1)

3

Romania ALDE

Against (1)

3

Latvia ALDE

1

Croatia ALDE

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Bulgaria ALDE

For (1)

4

Denmark ALDE

3

Portugal ALDE

1

Luxembourg ALDE

Against (1)

1

Ireland ALDE

For (1)

1

Estonia ALDE

For (1)

Against (2)

3

Slovenia ALDE

Against (1)

1

Lithuania ALDE

3

United Kingdom ALDE

Against (1)

1
icon: PPE PPE
202

Denmark PPE

For (1)

1

Luxembourg PPE

3

Cyprus PPE

Against (1)

1

Malta PPE

For (1)

Against (1)

2

Estonia PPE

For (1)

1
5

Belgium PPE

4

Lithuania PPE

2

Finland PPE

2

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)

committees/0/rapporteur/3
name
BOYLAN Lynn
date
2017-04-06T00:00:00
group
European United Left - Nordic Green Left
abbr
GUE/NGL
docs/0/docs/0/url
Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-8-2017-0293_EN.html
New
https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/B-8-2017-0293_EN.html
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date
2017-05-17T00:00:00
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Decision by Parliament
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2017-05-17T00:00:00
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EP
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url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-8-2017-0214_EN.html title: T8-0214/2017
summary
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Old
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2017-0293&language=EN
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ENVI
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  • date: 2017-05-17T00:00:00 docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=MOTION&reference=B8-2017-0293&language=EN title: B8-0293/2017 type: Motion for a resolution body: EP
  • date: 2017-09-25T00:00:00 docs: url: /oeil/spdoc.do?i=29777&j=0&l=en title: SP(2017)511 type: Commission response to text adopted in plenary
events
  • date: 2017-05-17T00:00:00 type: Results of vote in Parliament body: EP docs: url: https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/sda.do?id=29777&l=en title: Results of vote in Parliament
  • date: 2017-05-17T00:00:00 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading body: EP docs: url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0214 title: T8-0214/2017 summary: The European Parliament adopted by 425 votes to 230, with 27 abstentions, a resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified cotton GHB119 (BCS-GHØØ5-8) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council. The resolution was tabled by the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. Parliament considered that the authorisation for import of genetically modified cotton GHB119 into the Union would undoubtedly lead to an increase in its cultivation in other parts of the world, with a corresponding increase in the use of glufosinate ammonium-based herbicide (to which cotton is resistant) and classified as toxic to reproduction. Issues of concern : Members stressed that independent research raised concerns about major gaps in the comparative assessment, as well as the toxicology assessment. They recalled that many critical comments were submitted by Member States during the three-month consultation period. Those comments referred to, inter alia : (i) missing data as regards identification and quantification of the herbicide and metabolite residues in the GM plants and seeds used for food/feed, (ii) shortcomings in the environmental risk assessment, (iii) missing data as regards the germination power of the imported seed, as well as the fact that no unintended effects were taken into consideration. In spite of all the above mentioned concerns, the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) did not consider any post-market monitoring of food/feed derived from cotton GHB119 to be necessary. Procedural aspects : Parliament recalled that since the entry into force of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 , authorisation decisions have been adopted by the Commission without the support of the Member States’ committee opinion. Therefore, returning the dossier to the Commission for final decision, which is very much the exception for the procedure as a whole, has become the norm for decision-making on genetically modified food and feed authorisations. In its resolution of 28 October 2015, Parliament rejected, at first reading, the legislative proposal of 22 April 2015 amending Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 and called on the Commission to withdraw it and submit a new one. On the basis of these considerations, Parliament considered that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law , which is to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, the environment and consumer interests in relation to genetically modified food and feed, whilst ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market. Therefore, Parliament called on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and suspend any implementing decision regarding applications for authorisation of genetically modified organisms until the authorisation procedure has been revised in such a way as to address the shortcomings of the current procedure, which has proven inadequate.
  • date: 2017-05-17T00:00:00 type: End of procedure in Parliament body: EP
links
other
    procedure/dossier_of_the_committee
    Old
    ENVI/8/09732
    New
    • ENVI/8/09732
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure EP 112-p2
    procedure/legal_basis/0
    Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 106-p2
    procedure/subject
    Old
    • 3.10.09 Plant health legislation, organic farming, agro-genetics in general
    New
    3.10.06.05
    Textile plants, cotton
    3.10.09.06
    Agro-genetics, GMOs
    procedure/title
    Old
    Objection pursuant to Rule 106: GMO cotton GHB119
    New
    Resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified cotton GHB119 (BCS-GHØØ5-8)
    activities/0/docs
    • url: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=TA&language=EN&reference=P8-TA-2017-0214 type: Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading title: T8-0214/2017
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    New
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    activities
    • date: 2017-05-17T00:00:00 body: EP type: Vote in plenary scheduled
    committees
    • body: EP shadows: group: EPP name: AYUSO Pilar group: ALDE name: HUITEMA Jan responsible: True committee: ENVI date: 2017-04-06T00:00:00 2017-04-06T00:00:00 2017-04-06T00:00:00 2017-04-06T00:00:00 2017-04-06T00:00:00 2017-04-06T00:00:00 committee_full: Environment, Public Health and Food Safety rapporteur: group: EPP name: PIETIKÄINEN Sirpa group: S&D name: BALAS Guillaume group: ALDE name: MAZURONIS Valentinas group: GUE/NGL name: BOYLAN Lynn group: Verts/ALE name: STAES Bart group: EFD name: EVI Eleonora
    links
    other
      procedure
      dossier_of_the_committee
      ENVI/8/09732
      reference
      2017/2675(RSP)
      title
      Objection pursuant to Rule 106: GMO cotton GHB119
      legal_basis
      Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament EP 106-p2
      stage_reached
      Awaiting Parliament 1st reading / single reading / budget 1st stage
      subtype
      Resolution on implementing act or powers
      type
      RSP - Resolutions on topical subjects
      subject
      3.10.09 Plant health legislation, organic farming, agro-genetics in general