The 11th hour?

As reported by AFP and EurActiv among others, on Wednesday, like-minded countries sent a letter to Commissioner Borg in an attempt to stop the authorisation of GM 1057 at the eleventh hour.

They make reference to the well-known legal, political and scientific concerns as well as to the Commission's 1999 commitment not to go against predominant majorities in such cases. 

Fingers crossed that we won't have to keep our fingers crossed for the safety of our food chain...


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Brussels, 12th February 2014

Mr Tonio Borg

Commissioner

European Commission

Brussels

Dear Commissioner,

Yesterday’s discussion at the General Affairs Council on GMOs made clear that in the particular problem at hand, the extremely sensitive question of whether to authorise the genetically modified maize GM 1507, the solution is in the hands of the Commission. The Commission is still in position to withdraw its proposal.

An overwhelming majority of stakeholders, the European Parliament and Member States have repeatedly opposed the proposal. Yesterday, in particular, only 5 Member States supported it and 19 were against. That kind of an outcome would not yield approval under any other decision making procedure, amply underlining the validity and usefulness of the Commission’s 1999 pledge not to go against predominant majorities in such cases.

We are convinced that the Commission cannot ignore the legal, political and scientific concerns voiced by so many Member States and the general political landscape.

We are therefore confident that, by considering the horizontal impact of the issue, the Commission will withdraw the proposal.

  

Sincerely,

Sebastian Kurz

Federal Minister for European and International Affairs, Austria

Kristian VIGENIN

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria

Ioannis KASOULIDES,

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cyprus

Thierry REPENTIN

Minister for European Affairs, France

Enikő GYŐRI

Minister of State for European Affairs, Hungary

Enzo Moavero MILANESI

Minister for European Affairs, Italy

Edgars RINKEVICS

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Latvia

Vytautas Leškevičius,

Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Lithuania

Jean ASSELBORN

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Luxembourg

Piotr SERAFIN

Minister for European Affairs, Poland

Igor SENCAR,

State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Slovenia

Louis GRECH,

Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for European Affairs, Malta