The European Union has postponed until December a vote on a request to import genetically-modified foodstuffs, which would end a five-year moratorium on such products, the European Commission said on Monday.
The bloc’s decision is being closely watched by its trade partners, notably by the United States which claims that the de facto ban violates global trade rules.
Under newly-introduced rules, the commission has proposed allowing the import a form of sweetcorn, known as Bt-11, by Swiss firm Syngenta. The insect and herbicide-resistant strain is currently sold in the United States.
Experts from the 15-nation bloc’s member states discussed the issue with the commission in Brussels, but a vote on the issue was put off until December, said a commission spokesperson.
”A short debate took place where member states sought clarifications on the text,” said the spokesperson, adding that the vote is expected during the week beginning December 8.
”It’s totally reasonable. They’ve only just had the first discussion,” added spokesperson Beate Gminder. ”We obviously want to give people the opportunity to reflect on this.”
The EU in July agreed to two new directives on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which it said would open the way to lifting the five-year-old moratorium on the import and cultivation of bio-engineered food.
One directive required that foods and animal feed be labelled if they contain at least 0.9 percent of GM ingredients; the other required that GM foods’ origin can be traced. The two directives passed into EU law in October.
But despite signs of EU movement on the issue, the United States, Canada and Argentina are suing the bloc at the World Trade Organisation over the GM moratorium.
Monsanto, the US pioneer of GM crops, said last month it was pulling out of the European seed cereal business, although it denied the move was related to the EU moratorium on commercial growing of biotech crops.
Nevertheless public opinion in Europe remains largely hostile to GM foods.
British field trial data announced last month showed dramatic effects on wildlife from two of the three GM crops tested. The research came on the back of a nationwide consultation that revealed high levels of public mistrust of the technology and its consumer benefits.
The commission spokeswoman declined to predict the outcome of the December vote. ”I can’t do that. People do get quite worked up about this,” she said. – Sapa-AFP