By Andrew Bounds

Europe is poised for a fresh battle over genetically modified crops as its
top regulator moves to relax a zerotolerance policy on unauthorised GM
imports.
Androulla Vassiliou, health commissioner, is set to recommend lifting the
threshold for GM "contamination" in response to pressure from farmers and
the food industry, which claim they are spending millions of pounds finding
alternatives.

Environmental campaigners, however, say warnings that the EU could be unable
to find supplies are scaremongering. Diplomatic sources in Brazil and
Argentina, which supply almost all the EU's animal feed supplies and soya
for processed food, also question the apocalyptic scenario.

"We produce to satisfy our clients. We are not going to produce something
they are not going to buy," said a Brazilian source.

Ms Vassiliou is likely to propose lifting the threshold from zero to 0.1 per
cent. That would cover most of the recent contamination cases, such as the
LL601 incident in 2006 when genetically modified rice came into the EU from
the US and had to be withdrawn from the market, costing companies involved
millions of euros.

The change would not require new legislation and the subsequent support of a
qualified majority of EU ministers and the European parliament. Ms
Vassiliou's spokeswoman said that experts from member states, however, would
have to agree the policy change.

"We are looking at a technical solution that would not require changing the
law," the spokeswoman said. It is the least radical option called for. The
food industry had pushed for 0.9 per cent, in line with the amount of GM
allowed in foodstuffs without having to be labelled. The US wants 5 per
cent.

EU citizens and their governments are broadly hostile to GM. It can take up
to four years to approve a new product even for animal feed imports, the
most uncontroversial area. In the US, by contrast, the process takes a few
months so there are many more approved crops.

With the EU dependent on imports for 77 per cent of its animal feed, farmers
are left paying about 10 per cent more for supplies than rivals, and trade
is occasionally disrupted when an unauthorised genetically modified organism
is found.

Friends of the Earth, the environmental pressure group, has condemned the
commissioner's plan.

"If the EU was serious about listening to its citizens it would not be
quietly weakening GMO laws behind closed doors," said Helen Holder, European
GM campaigner at the organisation.

"The EU is falling for the biotech industry's pro-GM hype. European
livestock farmers need real solutions not measures that will simply increase
the industry's control and profits."

The EU has approved about 20 GM substances for imports. Brazilian and
Argentine sources say the change would be aimed more at cutting costs than
ensuring supply.

www.checkbiotech.org