EU committee rejects Dutch
gene-altered potato
RTw 08.10.98 12:38
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BRUSSELS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - A committee of European Union scientists has, for the first
time, rejected authorisation for a genetically engineered crop, the EU's executive
Commission announced on Thursday.
The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Plants said it had "serious
doubts" about the safety of a high-starch potato developed by the Dutch company Avebe
which is resistant to the clinically important antibiotic amikacin.
The committee said the risk that the crop would pass on its genetically-altered qualities
to other species hod not been examined sufficiently.
"Without an adequate risk assessment of the potential consequences of horizontal gene
transfer from the genetically modified plants to humans, animals and the environment, the
safety of the transgenic potato line cannot be fully assessed," the scientists said.
The potatoes are not themselves intended for human consumption but their starch is
designed to be used in food and animal feed.
The Scientific Committee on Plants is one of several scientific bodies which the
Commission consults before deciding whether to authorise the use and marketing of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To date the committee has approved 11 GMOs.
Genetic engineering is a controversial issue in the 15-nation EU, where several
environmental and consumer groups and a number of EU governments have voiced fears about
the consequences of using GMOs.
Advocates of genetic engineering claim the new crops are environmentally beneficial
because they can produce higher yields with less pesticide, herbicide and water.
Opponents counter that they could undermine organic farming by destroying benign insects
as well as pests, lead to antibiotic resistance in humans and animals, and pass on their
resiliance to herbicides to less desirable plants.