Europe remains a hotbed of biotech controversy. While grain producers in North America, South America and China move ahead with the technology, European farmers must wait as government officials continue to battle over the technology.
Now it appears that EU officials may change rules giving individual members greater power over the GMO approval process. Currently, states can pass on the vote to approve the import of a technology and later the European Commission can vote to allow new tech into the region. This process already slows adoption and availability of the technology.
Talk of turning the power back to the states is already causing controversy in the region. The approach would create a new country-by-country situation that could impact internal trade for the region.
The proposals continue to create controversy because they would allow regulators to ban biotech crops for ethical, socioeconomic or moral reasons. One official was quoted by wire services noting this move amounts to "abandoning the scientific and environmental basis." The proposals focus solely on ways to ban the technology rather than on ways to promote adoption of the technology on European farms.
Powered by iNet Solutions Group ©2011 All Rights Reserved.