EU Commission grants planting of the Amflora potato
(2 March 2010) The EU Commision has allowed commercial planting of the genetically modified Amflora potato. This is the first approval granted for the planting of a genetically modified crop in the EU since 1998.
A spokesman for BASF Plant Science announced that commercial planting of the Amflora potato could still begin this year.
The genetically modified potato developed by the company does not produce the usual mixture of two kinds of starch, rather just amylopectin. For many technical applications, such as in the paper, textile and adhesives industries, pure amylopectin is advantageous, but separating the two starch components is uneconomical.
The Commission approved recycling of residue from the starch processing to be used as feed. Amflora potatoes, however, are not approved for human consumption. "Incidental, technically unavoidable admixtures" of up to 0.9 percent are allowed though.
Recently appointed EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy John Dalli stated, "It is clear to me that there are no more scientific questions left unanswered. All scientific aspects and particularly those related to safety have already been thoroughly accounted for. A further delay of the approval could not have been justified."
Furthermore, the EU Commission decided to allow the import of other GM-maize varieties as well as their derived food and feed products. This concerns various crossings of the previously approved GM-maize varieties MON810, MON863 and NK603 (MON863xMON810, MON863xNK603, MON863xMON810xNK603).
Controversy arose primarily over antibiotic resistant marker genes in the Amflora potato as well as in the three GM maize varieties. Former European Commissioner for the Environment Stavros Dimas had pushed through an additional risk assessment by two panels of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) further delaying the decision for approval. In June 2009, both panels concluded that "adverse effects on human health and the environment as a result of the use of marker genes in genetically modified plants are unlikely, based on the current state of knowledge".
The EU Commission hopes still this summer to submit recommendations as to how Member States could be given more decision-making authority concerning the planting of GM crops. John Dalli has been given the mandate to establish "how a common, scientifically based approval process can be combined with the right of the Member States to decide themselves whether or not they wish to allow commercial planting of genetically modified crops in their respective territories."
See also on GMO-Compass:
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