EU approves GM maize for animal feed
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union has approved Monsanto's genetically modified maize MON 863 for import and processing as animal feed.
Monsanto has been given approval, for a period of 10 years, to import and use MON 863 as animal feed but not for cultivation or food uses.
This in the second product to be assessed and approved by the EU since the new strict labelling and traceability rules on agricultural products came into force.
EU member states have ended meetings in deadlock 14 times in a row on whether to approve new GMO products, usually for use in industrial processing or as animal feed. The last time they actually agreed on a new GMO approval was in 1998.
The decision taken by the European Commission, on this occasion, was allowed under a legal default procedure that kicks in after national governments are unable to agree among themselves.
The last chance that the 25-nation bloc had to reach a majority agreement was in late June at a meeting of EU environment ministers in Luxembourg.
MON 863 has been modified to resist corn rootworm and it will be subject to the new labelling and traceability rules that came into force in April 2004.
Source: Europa