By Martin Banks - 16th September 2010
This is a growing movement and many people have deep concerns about GMOs
Jill Evans
European health commissioner John Dalli has defended the EU's policy on GMOs, saying it is "balanced and pragmatic".
His comments come as the commission prepares to table new legislative proposals for the cultivation of GMOs.
Speaking at a conference in parliament on Thursday, Dalli said the EU employed "one of the strictest" systems for authorising GMOs. This included a "zero tolerance" approach to unauthorised GMOs.
Dalli added, "This is a system that is based on science, safety and consumer choice."
He also defended the commission's proposal to leave decisions on GMO planting to member states, saying, "Our new guidelines strike the right balance between GM and non-GM farming.
"They give member states a say on the cultivation of GM crops and, I believe, send the right signal to the consumer. We needed more flexibility here and this is what these guidelines seek to achieve."
Another speaker, French MEP José Bové, deputy chair of the agriculture committee, said he was "dissatisfied" with the commission's proposals, warning they would effectively "renationalise" GM cultivation.
Both Dalli and Bové were addressing a GMO-Free Europe conference, jointly organised by Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth Europe.
The event brought together some 250 participants, including farmers, consumer and civil society organisations from 37 countries.
Jill Evans, a Welsh MEP who chaired the opening debate, said the strong turnout "shows the strength of feeling" on the GMO issue.
She said, "This is a growing movement and many people have deep concerns about GMOs."
In the last few years Europe has experienced two major foods scares: bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease) in the UK and dioxin-tainted foods originating from Belgium.
For some, such food scares have undermined consumer confidence in the European food supply, with citizens disinclined to trust government information about GM foods.
In response to the public outcry, Europe now requires mandatory food labelling of GM foods in stores, and the commission has established a one per cent threshold for contamination of unmodified foods with GM food products.
Environmental activists, religious organisations, public interest groups, professional associations, scientists and government officials have all raised concerns about GM foods.
Their effects on human health are unknown and there is a growing concern that introducing foreign genes into food plants may have unexpected and negative impacts on human health.
Have your say...
Please enter your comments below.