MINISTER FOR the Environment John Gormley has supported a French plan that could enable member states such as Ireland to establish themselves as GMO free zones in the EU.
At an informal meeting of environment ministers in Paris yesterday, Mr Gormley told his fellow EU ministers that the union needed to respond to citizens concerns in the area of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
He said the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in Ireland had demonstrated there was a real need for the union to take action to address a disconnect between the EU and citizens, and signalled that GMOs were a prime example.
“I heard some of my colleagues talk about the disconnect between the people of Europe and the European project in the context of the Irish No vote,” he said.
Mr Gormley told The Irish Times after the meeting. “When you have a situation and the perception exists that the majority of people in Europe and the majority of member states oppose GMOs, and are then overruled by the commission, this is undoubtedly contributing to that problem.”
Mr Gormley acknowledged that Irish farmers currently use GMO animal feed for their cattle and he said there were no immediate plans to change that policy. But he said he felt it was essential that the Government kept its options open in relation to the issue.
“We are conscious of the strength of consumer demand for GM-free products. We are also conscious of labelling initiatives being introduced, including those in other member states, which will facilitate consumer identification of food products derived from animals fed a GM-free diet,” he said.
The issue of GMO crops is hugely controversial in Europe with several states, including Austria and France, strongly opposed to allowing them to be grown as part of their national agricultural production. But some states favour the promotion of GMO products, arguing that they could hold the key to combating food shortages.
Under the current EU policy if member states are divided on whether to allow a certain GM crop to be grown the European Commission has the final say on whether it can be cleared for production.
France, which holds the six month presidency of the union, is aiming to reform the process and has proposed allowing some member states to become GM free zones.
“We want to make rapid progress, because citizens expect it, and our demands are high,” French junior minister for the environment Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet said in a statement after the meeting.
EU environment ministers agreed to establish a committee to study the issue yesterday. A final decision on a new EU policy on GMOs is to be taken at the summit meeting of EU environment ministers in December, she said.