Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 14 • 23rd July 2004

EU Approves Another GM Import as WTO Dispute Drags On

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On 19 July the European Commission authorised Monsanto’s NK603 corn, genetically modified (GM) to tolerate the herbicide Roundup Ready. This EC move followed the failure of European environment ministers to reach a decision on the corn at their last meeting (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 8 July 2004). The approval only applies for the use of corn as feed — not for cultivation — and imports will only be allowed once the maize also has been approved for food use. Agriculture ministers, meeting on 19 July on this issue, also failed to reach a decision on food use and it will again be up to the Commission to decide on the authorisation by late September. While the GM maize already was the second variety authorised by the Commission since approvals were put on hold in 1998, the US administration stressed that they would continue to pursue the WTO case against the EU’s (now no longer existent) de facto moratorium on GM approvals (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 11 June 2004). “Our bottom line is Europe needs to have a predictable, timely, transparent and science-based regulatory system for biotech products,” said Richard Mills, spokesperson for the US Trade Representative. The proceedings, however, have been delayed to allow parties additional time to prepare their rebuttals (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 8 July 2004). No new timeline has been set for when the Panel will issue its report.

For further information on the dispute, see trade-environment.org.

“GMOs: Commission authorises import of GM-maize for use in animal feed,” IP/04/957, 19 July 2004; “Europe approves genetically modified corn as animal feed,” NYT, 20 July 2004.