EU threatens three countries over
gene crop bans
RTw 11.09.98 17:34
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By Gillian Handyside
BRUSSELS, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Luxembourg and Austria will be in breach of European Union
law unless they repeal bans on an EU-approved strain of genetically modified corn by
midnight on Friday, European Commission spokesman Peter Jorgensen said.
The 15-nation EU gave authorisation in 1997 for the corn, developed by Swiss
pharmaceutical company Novartis to resist the corn-borer pest. But Vienna and Luxembourg
banned the variety, alleging concerns about potential environmental risks.
Jorgensen told reporters if Austria and Luxembourg failed to respect Friday's deadline,
the Commission -- the EU's executive -- was likely to order them in writing to comply. If
that had no effect, Brussels could take legal action against them, he said.
France could also face a legal challenge from the executive following its decision in July
to impose a two-year moratorium on the sale of a genetically engineered rapeseed produced
by Plant Genetic Systems, Jorgensen said. PGS is part of German biotechnology firm AgrEvo.
The AgrEvo rapeseed was approved by the EU in 1996. But under the bloc's complex rules, it
cannot be used in any EU country until France ratifies the authorisation, since Paris
handled the manufacturer's application.
The EU is under pressure from the biotechnology industry and the United States, where use
of gene-altered crops is spreading rapidly, to speed up authorisations for these crops in
Europe.
But the new technology has run into resistance from consumer and environmental groups who
fear transgenic crops could disrupt organic farming, the environment, and human or animal
health.
Commission officials say privately they feel caught between the two sides. If a majority
of EU governments approve a gene crop, the executive is obliged to enforce that decision.
On the other hand, the Commission is somewhat unwilling to foster the public perception of
an aloof bureaucratic body hell bent on imposing unpopular rules.
Jorgensen said that while there was "no reason to let anybody off the hook," the
Commission was unlikely to rush into a clash with Luxembourg or Austria, which holds the
EU's six-month rotating presidency until the end of the year.
If warning letters were necessary, they ought to be sent before the end of the year,
Jorgensen said. But the Commission would then give the two countries at least 20 days to
react before launching legal action.
Austrian officials in Brussels said they were waiting to see what the Commission does.
Luxembourg officials were unable to give an immediate comment.
Jorgensen said the government of French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin was legally obliged
to ratify the EU authorisation of the AgrEvo rapeseed even though the original request for
approval had been made by the previous French administration.
An EU official told Reuters the Commission had written to the French authorities seeking
clarification of their position. The official said it was unclear whether Paris, which
believes the altered rapeseed gene could be transferred to other plant species, planned
simply to delay approval of the crop for two years or to ban it outright.
Under EU rules, a member state may ban a gene-crop which has been approved by the bloc if
there are justifiable concerns about environmental or health risks. This was exactly what
Austria and Luxembourg attempted to do in the case of the Novartis corn. However, EU
scientists subsequently ruled their claim was groundless.