Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 4 • Number 13 • 8th July 2004
Mixed Signals for Future of Biotech in Europe
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At their 28 June meeting, European environment ministers failed to reach a decision on whether to authorise Monsanto’s genetically modified herbicide-tolerant maize NK 603. This marked the second time ministers were unable to agree on an application, and it will again be up to the Commission to take the decision (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 28 May 2004). The approval would only apply for the use of the maize in animal feed and not for planting. The application for food use is pending in the EU Agriculture Council. Meanwhile, the Commission presented its vision for plant biotechnology for the coming 20 years, as drafted by stakeholders from industry, consumer organisations and research institutions. The paper’s authors note the potential of plant biotechnology to address challenges arising from population growth, fossil fuels shortage and the resulting need for renewable plant-based resources. The authors call for a European technology platform on research in this area. The paper comes at a time of growing concern that biotech research is likely to collapse in Britain with the pull-out of the last major biotech company Syngenta, which is moving its operation to the US. Many predict that university research will be negatively affected as business funding is reduced and unlikely to be substituted by public funding. Among the EU countries, the UK has witnessed the most extensive consultation and assessment process on biotech, highlighting the public’s concern over its use in the country (see BRIDGES Trade BioRes, 3 October 2003).
“Member states still divided over new GM products,” EurActiv, 29 June 2004; “Plant biotechnology - a silver bullet for global challenges,” EurActiv, 28 June 2004; GM research collapses in UK as lat big firm quits,” INDEPENDENT, 5 July 2004.
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