The European Parliament adopted by 402 votes to 208,
with 25 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the draft
Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the
market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from
genetically modified maize MON 87427 × MON 89034 × NK603
(MON-87427-7 × MON-89Ø34-3 ×
MON-ØØ6Ø3-6) and genetically modified maize
combining two of the events MON 87427, MON 89034 and NK603, and
repealing Decision 2010/420/EU.
On 13 September 2013, Monsanto Europe S.A. submitted
an application for the placing on the market of foods, food
ingredients and feed containing, consisting of, or produced from
genetically modified (GM) maize MON 87427 × MON 89034 ×
NK603 to the national competent authority of Belgium. It covers the
placing on the market of products consisting of or containing
genetically modified maize MON 87427 × MON 89034 × NK603
for uses other than food and feed as any other maize, with the
exception of cultivation.
The application covered, for those uses, all three
sub-combinations of GM maize MON 87427 × MON 89034 ×
NK603.
GM maize MON 87427 × MON 89034 × NK603
contains two genes for glyphosate resistance and produces
Cry1A.105 and Cry2Ab2 proteins which confer resistance to specific
lepidopteran pests.
Although the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
adopted a favourable opinion to renew the authorisation, many
critical comments were submitted by Member States in relation
to the opinion during the three-month consultation period relating
to:
- the fact that the compositional analysis does
not cover residues of the complementary herbicides nor its
metabolites;
- that, due to concerns over studies showing an increase
in the incidence of bladder stones in mice fed on MON 89034, a
conclusion about the risks associated with the use of this GM
organism (GMO) in human or animal food cannot be
drawn;
- that further information is required before the
risk assessment can be finalised.
Other areas of concern include: (i) the lack of experimental data for MON
87427 × MON 89034 and MON 87427 × NK603 sub-combinations;
(ii) the post-market environmental monitoring plan submitted by the
applicant for the three-event stack maize does not include any
provisions for the two sub-combinations MON 87427 × MON 89034
and MON 87427 × NK603.
Members also questioned the issue concerning the
carcinogenicity of glyphosate. However, one of the key
purposes of the stacked event is to increase the plants
tolerance to glyphosate (both NK603 and MON 87427 express EPSPS
enzymes which confer tolerance to glyphosate). In consequence, it
has to be expected that the plant will be exposed to higher and
also repeated dosages of glyphosate.
On the basis of these considerations, Parliament
considered that the Commissions implementing decision is
not compatible with Union law which requires the provision
of the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life
and health, animal health and welfare, the environment and consumer
interests, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal
market.
As a result, Parliament asked the Commission to
withdraw its draft implementing decision.
On a procedural level,
Members recalled that since the entry into force of authorisation
procedure for GMOs, authorisation decisions have been adopted by
the Commission without the support of the Standing Committee on the
Food Chain and Animal Health.
Moreover, the return of 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. This practice has also been deplored by Commission
President Juncker as not being democratic.
Parliament also called on the Commission to suspend
any implementing decision regarding applications for
authorisation of GMOs until the authorisation procedure has been
revised in such a way so as to address the shortcomings of the
current procedure, which has proven inadequate.
It also called on the legislators responsible to
advance work on the Commission proposal amending Regulation (EU) No
182/2011 on comitology as a matter of urgency and to ensure that,
inter alia, if no opinion is delivered by the Food Chain and
Animal Health Standing Committee with respect to GMOs approvals,
either for cultivation or for food and feed, the Commission will
withdraw the proposal.
Parliament also called on the Commission
to:
- not to authorise any herbicide-tolerant genetically
modified plants (HT GMP) without full assessment of the residues
from spraying with the complementary herbicides and their
commercial formulations as applied in the countries of
cultivation;
- request much more detailed testing of health
risks relating to stacked events such as genetically modified maize
MON 87427 × MON 89034 × NK603;
- develop strategies for health risk assessment,
toxicology and post-market monitoring that target the whole
food and feed chain;
- fully integrate the risk
assessment of the application of complementary herbicides and their
residues into the risk assessment of HT GMP, regardless of whether
the GM plant is for cultivation in the Union or for import for food
and feed.