EU prepares for WTO GM ruling

The WTO ruling against the EU’s GM crop import approval regime is not expected to alter current rules, the European commission said on Wednesday.

The commission has briefed that a setback is lightly to have little impact as the EU’s legislative situation has changed significantly since the complaint was originally lodged.

That original challenge brought in 2003 by the US, Canada and Argentina argued that the EU’s strict policies, including an unofficial GM moratorium that lasted until 2004 were effectively blocking the import and cultivation of GM crops into Europe.

After a series of long delays, the Geneva based WTO arbitration panel is expected to severely criticise the EU’s restrictive GM regime, in a confidential preliminary ruling running to more than 1000 pages.

But the commission has repeatedly said that it now has a clear and fully functioning set of GM crop approvals rules that looks at each authorisation on a case by case basis.

And the commission insists that whatever Tuesday’s result, the status quo on GM will remain unchanged.

"Nothing will change. The ruling will not affect in any way EU regulations on GMOs," said a source on Monday.

But the realpolitik of EU GM crop authorisations is one of deep division.

Eight EU member states have invoked so called ‘safeguard clauses’ on GM products that have already cleared the EU approvals system.

These national bans have added to US sentiment that Europe is dragging its feet, and they are expected to be heavily criticised by the WTO arbitration panel in Tuesday’s report.

And division within Europe’s capitals ensures that council of ministers repeatedly fail to reach agreement on new GM authorisations.

Approvals are again and again left to the commission to ‘rubber stamp’ on member states’ behalf.

Tuesday’s WTO decision will be closely scrutinised by current EU presidency holders, Austria.

Vienna heads a group of EU member states, including Greece and Luxembourg that vehemently oppose GM crops.

And with opposition to GM among EU citizens topping 70 per cent, the Austrians have made GM one of their top political priorities during the six month stint.

A presidency sponsored conference on crop coexistence in April, alongside recent rumblings for a complete overhaul of the EU’s faltering system could see increasing calls for a more substantial debate.

• Previous article
• Next article