The European Parliament adopted, by 402 votes to 188 with 26 abstentions, a resolution objecting to the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize NK603 × MON 810 (MON-ØØ6Ø3-6 × MON-ØØ81Ø-6) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
On 20 October 2016, Monsanto Europe N.V./S.A. submitted to the Commission an application, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, for the renewal of the authorisation of genetically modified maize NK603 × MON 810 for food and feed use.
Genetically modified maize NK603 × MON 810 expresses a protein that confers tolerance to glyphosate herbicides. The International Agency for Research on Cancer – the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organisation – classified glyphosate as probably carcinogenic to humans.
While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) expressed a favourable opinion on the application for authorisation, Member States made many critical comments during the three-month consultation period, highlighting in particular: (i) lacking information with regard to lines currently used; (ii) missing data, e.g. regarding the potential for horizontal gene transfer of the events MON 810 and NK603; (iii) a deficient literature review; (iv) a partly outdated data generation; (v) a fragmentary environmental monitoring approach.
Despite these concerns, a post-market monitoring plan was not required. Case-specific post-market environmental monitoring was also not considered necessary.
On the basis of these considerations, Parliament considered that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests in relation to genetically modified food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market. It therefore called on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision.
On the procedural note, Members recalled that since the current GMO authorisation procedure entered into force, authorisation decisions have been adopted by the Commission without the support of the Member States’ committee opinion and that the return of the dossier to the Commission for final decision, which is very much the exception for the procedure as a whole, has become the norm for decision-making on genetically modified food and feed authorisations.
Parliament called on the Commission to suspend any implementing decision regarding applications for authorisation of genetically modified organisms until the authorisation procedure has been revised in such a way so as to address the shortcomings of the current procedure, which has proven inadequate.