EU Approves GM Potato for Cultivation; Some Members Criticize Move
The European Commission (EC) has reportedly approved for the first time in 12 years a genetically modified (GM) crop to be grown solely for industrial or animal feed purposes in the European Union. EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli told reporters that the GM Amflora potato produced by the German company BASF could be planted in Europe as soon as April 2010. The potato is purportedly engineered to be unusually rich in a starch suitable for making glossy paper and other products as well as for feeding animals.
Some EU member states, however, reportedly oppose the certification, claiming that the biotech potato could pose health risks to humans if its antibiotic-resistant gene enters the food chain when livestock is fed its industrial pulp or harm the environment if its seeds accidentally spread. “Not only are we against this decision, but we want to underscore that we will not allow the questioning of member states’ sovereignty on this matter,” Italy’s agriculture minister was quoted as saying.
Dalli reportedly stated that he planned to present a proposal this summer that would give member states more authority to decide whether to allow GM crop cultivation within their borders. “Responsible innovation will be my guiding principle when dealing with innovative technologies,” he said in a March 2, 2010, EC press release, adding that the decision to clear the Amflora variety was based on a “series of favorable safety assessments carried out over the years by the European Food Safety Authority.” See The New York Times, guardian.co.uk, March 3, 2010; The Independent, March 4, 2010.
