EU environment ministers have supported a proposal from France to overhaul
Europe's approval process for genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday (5 June), the ministers decided that the
risk assessment procedures within the GMO evaluation and authorisation
system needed to be improved and there needs to be a longer-term discussion
of their impact on the environment.

"The scientific advice provided by the European Food Safety Agency [the body
that carries out the evaluation procedure] is of high quality," said
European environment commissioner Stavros Dimas speaking to reporters after
the meeting.

"However, we need to strengthen EFSA's capacity to evaluate the risks and
take into account changes in agricultural practices and local geographic
conditions."

"This decision will help decision-making on GMOs," he added.

The member states called for a reform of the scientific expertise involved
in GMO risk assessment and for further discussions on the long-term impacts
of the controversial agricultural products.

France presented proposals that would see a re-evaluation of the food safety
body's expertise, which were accepted unanimously by other environment
ministers and supported by the European Commission, the EU's executive body.

An expert group will be formed to develop ideas which will then be
considered by a later meeting of environment ministers, either in October or
at the end of the year, according to Jean-Louis Borloo the French
environment minister.

However, the minister stressed that such a review would not lead to the
banning of genetically-modified food.

"Changing the expertise is not saying we want to ban GMOs," he said.

"We want to see their commercialisation ? except where the product presents
a clear danger to health, following a detailed analysis of the risks," he
added.

Mr Dimas also clarified that the meeting had only seen an initial discussion
on the matter, saying ministers were at the moment "putting their thoughts
on the table," while a more thorough discussion will take place when France
takes on the six-month rotating EU presidency in the second half of this
year.

The review will, however, likely result in a greater role for member states.
"Member states must be more involved and take greater responsibility in
assessing the safety of GMOs," said the commissioner.

Environmental campaigners welcomed the move, with Greenpeace saying it was
glad EU ministers "recognised [the GMO approval process] needs to be
repaired."

"It is now clear that the authorisation process must be halted until risk
assessment procedures are truly independent and compliant with EU legal
requirements," said Marco Contiero, a GMO campaigner with Greenpeace Europe.

The green group, together with partner Friends of the Earth, in May called
for EFSA to be reformed, complaining that the agency was understaffed
without the appropriate expertise and did not act impartially.

A number of member states have in the past accused EFSA of bias and said it
gives the nod to GMOs without the necessary research.

In May, the commission asked EFSA to review three strains of GM products ?
one potato and two varieties of maize ? the third time the EU executive had
asked the agency to review them. In previous assessments, EFSA had stated
the strains were safe.

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