By Jeremy Smith

European Union biotech experts will get the chance next month to
vote whether to allow two genetically modified (GM) maize types to be grown
in Europe, in a bid to break the longstanding EU deadlock on growing GM
crops.

The full European Commission, the EU's executive arm, on Wednesday backed
proposals drafted by its environment unit that would grant standard 10-year
licences for the two maize types: the EU's first approvals for GM crop
cultivation since 1998.

But to achieve that, the experts' committee would have to reach a consensus
deal under the EU's weighted country voting system -- highly unlikely,
officials say, since the bloc's 27 member states hardly ever agree on
biotechnology issues.

"The written procedures have gone through," a Commission official said,
referring to the Commission's internal steps for endorsing legal proposals.

The draft authorisations were likely to be discussed by national experts
next month, the official said.

The committee is next scheduled to meet on February 16.

After intensive internal debates on GMO policy, coupled with the pressure of
a court case brought by one of the manufacturing companies and a third
"green light" report by EU food safety agency EFSA -- things have now moved
forward at the Commission.

The crops are Bt-11 maize, engineered by Swiss agrochemicals company
Syngenta (SYNN.VX), and 1507 maize -- jointly developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred
International, a unit of DuPont Co (DD.N) and Dow AgroSciences (DOW.N) unit
Mycogen Seeds.

If the committee fails to reach enough majority voting weight either to
approve or reject the two applications, they will be escalated to EU
ministers for consideration. If after three months, the ministers fail to
agree, then EU law provides for the Commission to issue a default approval.

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