www.czu.cz ; www.raupp.info

Europe?s GM policy remains in disarray after EU environment ministers
failed ? for the ninth time ? to approve a genetically modified crop,
December 2004 by Bruno Waterfield .

EU capitals have again failed to either approve or reject a GM import
request ? this time for a GM rapeseed known as GT73.

The decision to approve is now expected to be taken by the European
Commission in January 2005 ? it will be the third such approval since May
2004.

Europe?s environment ministers did not push the issue to a vote after a
meeting of EU diplomats last week found only six national governments in
support.

The Netherlands, Finland, France, Portugal, Slovakia and Sweden backed
release of the GM crop.

Britain, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Slovenia and Spain abstained
and 13 other EU member states were opposed.

The stand off now allows Brussels to rubber stamp the GMO release within
three months of the now seemingly inevitable impasse at a council of
environment ministers.

While the procedure ends an EU freeze on GM ? in place from 1998 until
2004 ? there is little sign of thaw or consensus among national governments.

GT73 rapeseed is a GM crop modified to resist a herbicide, and destined as
an import for use in animal feed and industrial processing.

The rapeseed will not be grown in the EU ? such an approval is a much more
contentious, and a looming test, of Europe?s willingness to end bans on
biotech crops.


[www.eupolitix.com]
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