EU to Lower GM Rules in Face of Study Showing Immense Harm

The EU’s rules on genetically modified crops are about to be weakened, allowing the concept of ‘substantial equivalence’ to become the standard, thus allowing virtually any GM crop to be approved virtually automatically.

by Heidi Stevenson

In the face of a study demonstrating enormous harm from Monsanto’s corn and glyphosate pesticide, the European Union (EU) is going ahead with plans to weaken regulations on genetically modified crops. In spite of the fact that the existing measure was democratically defined in legislation and the EU Environmental Council demanded in 2008 that GMO safety measures be tightened, the EU Commission is going ahead with plans that Earth Open Source says:

… fatally weakens the way genetically modified (GM)foods are assessed for safety. …

… [T]he standards in the new Regulation, currently in draft form, are too weak to protect human and animal health and the environment from the effects of GM crops.

Here’s what the EU Commission intends to do:

• Use the concept of “substantial equivalence”, which would be the end of genuine risk assessments. This is how it’s now done in the US, where nothing more than statements that a genetically engineered crop is “substantially equivalent” to an existing crop clears the way for its approval. In fact, in the US, it is now tantamount to approval. Until recently, it at least served to slow the approval process. Now, though, a simple declaration of substantial equivalence—which is based on whatever the USDA chooses to base it on—results in automatic approval of a genetically engineered crop. This would contravene the EU’s GMO Regulation 1829/2003
• The assessment of “substantial equivalence” is further weakened by allowing the introduction of irrelevant information, which can confuse the picture. This would contravene the EU’s GMO Regulation 2001/18—not to mention being contrary to good scientific practice.
• No long term feeding trials would be required, a disastrous rule, as clearly shown by the photo of the rat below.

The so-called European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has been lobbying for short term feeding trials, claiming that 90 days is a sufficient length of time to discover whether such foods result in any harms. Feeding genetically modified corn, which is currently used in the EU to feed animals, causes tumors like those in the rat pictured to the left. As was learned during a study that lasted the lifetime of rats, such tumors do not show up during the proposed 90-day trials. 

And the EU Commission plans to go forward with this loosening of the rules!

There will be no Parliamentary scrutiny of the proposed loosening of regulations. The EU Commission, acting as a dictator, intends to hold closed-door sessions about the changes sometime during the next few weeks. They do not even intend to let the public know when they’ll be held!

It’s obvious that the European Union (EU) is not a democratic organization, and it does not exist for the benefit of the people. Although there is a Parliament, which is intended to be responsive to the people, the fact is that the Commission has taken power. It is equivalent to a dictator. There isn’t even the pretense of voting. The Commissioner is appointed.

The EU’s constitution enshrines corporate personhood. The results of such an anti-people standard is clear in the face of this plan to place the people of Europe completely at the whim of Agribusinesses like Monsanto, BASF, and Syngenta. Their only concern is profits, and they will have them at the cost of a scorched earth because the EU Commission is entirely in their pocket.

Sources:

• EU Commission’s draft GMO Regulation: Charter for the GM industry
• EU Commission’s draft GMO Regulation Charter for the GM industry
• EU Commission waters down GM regulation just as new research shows “safe” GM maize causes massive tumours and premature death
• Substantial equivalence- anything but equivalent or substantial

Tagged agribusiness, eu commission, eu commission gm, eu loosen gm rules, european union gmo, genetically engineered crops, gm crops, gm substantial equivalence, gmo, politics, substantial equivalence, substantial equivalence doctrine, substantial equivalence rule