By Jeremy Smith

The European Union's executive backed proposals on Wednesday to allow two
genetically modified maize types to be grown in Europe, to be submitted to a
vote by national EU biotech experts next month, an official said.

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

The proposals, authored by the European Commission's environment unit, would
grant a standard 10-year license for the two maize varieties -- and also be
the EU's first authorizations for genetically modified 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," the Commission official said,
referring to the Commission's internal steps for endorsing legal proposals.

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

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