Mandelson urges action on genetic foods

EU Commissioner Peter Mandelson

The system of approving genetically modified food in Europe, the European Union's top trade official, Peter Mandelson said in a speech at a European biotechnology industry open day Thursday.

He called on E.U. governments to stop dragging their feet and take the lead in shaping what he described as "a global system of clear rules that allow exporters and importers to trade GM crops and feed in confidence".

His comments were warmly welcomed by the attendees at the biotech gathering. The commissioner's comments "are very significant because they reconfirm that the Commission is in favour of biotech," said Johan Vanhemelrijck, secretary general of trade group, EuropaBio in an interview.

As European trade commissioner, Mandelson has to defend the E.U.'s incoherent approach to GM food and animal feed to trade partners such as the United States and Brazil. Last year trade arbiter, the World Trade Organization sided with the U.S. in an appeal against the E.U.'s inconsistent application of its GM approvals procedures.

Many national European governments refuse to permit the import of GM produce into their territories even though it has been approved by European scientists at the European Food Safety Agency.

They are responding to widespread public suspicion of all GM foods in many European countries.

Seven GM approvals have been granted to date, mostly for modified strands of maize. In each case the member state governments failed to rubber stamp the scientific all clear. They left the final decision to the European Commission in order to avoid angering their electorates.

Mandelson urged governments to stick to the rules they themselves put in place. "A rigorous system means approving GM imports when the science is on their side just as we take a firm line when precaution is justified. If politicians and risk managers undermine their own system, we devalue objective science as our most important benchmark - and that is a dangerous step to take," Mandelson said.

"His plea to member states to have the courage to apply European decisions once the science has shown that products are safe is what we have been saying all along," Vanhemelrijck said.

As a global market for GM products grows, E.U. application of its rules will come under greater international scrutiny, Mandelson warned. It will also start to have a negative impact on European biotech companies and clients such as farmers, he said.

"It's an illusion to think that the rest of the world will stop if we don't move ahead with GM products," Vanhemelrijck said.

Describing biotechnology as "the coal face of applied science in the twenty first century", the trade commissioner said "we must be under no illusion that Europe's interests are served by being outside a global market that is steadily working its way through the issues raised by GM food.  They are not."

There is an economic risk in Europe if we fall behind the global economy in approving safe biotechnology, Mandelson said. "Isolation from international trade in agricultural biotech products that have passed credible safety standards simply may not be a viable option for the EU.," he added.

Nevertheless, he cautioned that while public fears may be misplaced, they should not be dismissed.  The biotech industry and policymakers "need to do a better job of setting out the issues," he said.

Vanhemelrijck agreed that more communication to consumers about the merits of GM foods is needed, but he said the industry's job is made far harder in countries where public authorities are opposed to them.

"How much explaining must we do if politicians refuse these products? Conflicting messages confuse the public and overcoming that would require a huge amount of communications," Vanhemelrijck said.

The job would be easier if GM products were more prevalent. "It's hard to build trust in something people don't really see," he said.