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European incoherence on GMO cultivation versus importation

Nature Biotechnology volume 34, pages 694–695 (2016)Cite this article

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To the Editor:

A double standard has been practiced for many years in the European Union's (EU; Brussels) regulation of so-called genetically modified organisms (GMOs): cultivation is practically forbidden, whereas importation is allowed. Many member states are taking advantage of a recent amendment of the 2001 Directive to continue the ban on cultivation, whereas an inconvenient proposal by the European Commission (EC; Brussels) to adjust the rules on importation accordingly has been rejected by the European Parliament. I interpret this to mean that members of the European Parliament simply did not want to discuss the thorny issue, preferring to leave things in limbo, as they have been for many years. The reasons why the EC has made the proposal to amend importation in the first place remain unclear.

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  1. Como, Carugo, Italy

    Giovanni Tagliabue

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Correspondence to Giovanni Tagliabue.

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Tagliabue, G. European incoherence on GMO cultivation versus importation. Nat Biotechnol 34, 694–695 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.3588

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