Scientific assessment needed on impact of GMO
At a GMO Conference in Brussels this week, the head of the Directorate General for Environment, Karl Falkenberg, outlined how the Commission will give Member States the final say over whether to grow genetically modified (GM) crops on their territory. EU President Jose Barosso had previously kept any discussion on GMO at arms length, but now he has been reinstated as President in office, it appears that he may now be ready to tackle this controversial issue- and about time!
As a member of the European Parliament’s Agriculture Committee, I have long campaigned for a fair, honest and balanced debate on the commercial production of GM Crops in Europe. I fully respect and agree with Falkenberg’s assurances that the Commission will undertake full scientific assessment of the affect on GMO before initialising any kind of review.
Too often we have seen the formidable force of Europe’s green lobby dominate the agenda without comprehensive scientific assessment and it is time to disregard unfounded prejudices and fears and approach this subject with an open mind. We need to evaluate the evidence on this very emotive subject very carefully and rationally.
Many of you will know of my hard campaign against the ludicrous legislation to withdraw vital crop protection chemicals from the European market place. The Commission refused to carry out a full EU wide impact assessment and while we were successful in watering down the proposals, we cannot let such important regulations, whether for or against GMOs go through without a clear and detailed understanding of the full scope of the situation.
The United States has been commercially cultivating GM crops for more than 10 years now and if we want to become a competitor on the global market place and avoid becoming reliant on overseas production and supply, we must start to consider all our options. We must encourage research and development, be open to investment opportunity and share information and expertise. The current economic downtown, a global food crisis, concerns about providing our future energy requirements and reduced land availability are all valid reasons to at very least explore the costs and benefits of diversifying an agricultural production.
