GMOs are being authorised in the EU without the support of Member States, according to MEPs.
They said last week that the European Commission should not authorise the glyphosate-tolerant GM soybeans in food and feed.
The MEPs note that glyphosate, a herbicide, is classified as “probably carcinogenic” by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The three genetically modified soybeans to be authorized by the European Commission for use in food and feed are FG72, MON 87708 x MON 89788 and MON 87705 x MON 89788.
MEPs approved three separate objections, included one tabled by Irish MEP Lynn Boylan.
Late last year, MEPs also opposed two maize GMOs which the Commission adopted for food or feed uses.
At the time, MEPs said that the Commission should suspend any authorisations for GM food and feed as long as the procedure, currently under review, has not been improved.
MEPs also point out that the European Commission itself deplored that since the current GM authorisation process came into force, every GM authorisation decision has been taken by the Commission without the support of a qualified majority of Member States.
In effect, this turns what should be the exception into the norm, according to MEPs.
In October last year, a separate EU law that would enable any EU Member State to restrict or prohibit the sale and use of EU-approved GMO food or feed on its territory was opposed by Parliament.
MEPs are concerned that this law might prove unworkable or that it could lead to the reintroduction of border checks between pro- and anti-GMO countries.
In response, they are now calling on the Commission to table a new proposal.
