EU Should Speed Up GM Authorisation, Says LEI

NETHERLANDS - The EU should speed up the authorisation process for genetically modified (GM) animal feed ingredients, according to the Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI) of Wageningen UR.

27 May 2011

2 minute read

Europe

The European Union should speed up the authorisation processes for novel GM events, to preserve the relative importance of the EU market in animal feed products, according to LEI.

In this context, it is necessary to take into account the increasing number of countries which are embarking on the development of GM events, and which will be submitting applications to the EU for authorisation of the novel events. A second possibility is to introduce a practical tolerance threshold for EU unauthorised GM events that would allow limited liability partnership in shipments to the EU. A third possibility is to anticipate the consequences of potential shortages by exploring the possibilities for increasing the range of feed ingredients.

These are the main findings of a study on the a report entitled Implications of Asynchronous GMO Approvals for EU Imports of Animal Feed Products, conducted by LEI.

The choice of farmers around the world to plant GM crops is based on perceived benefits from increased net revenues resulting from increasing yields while reducing the costs of production. In addition, the demand for maize and soybean, and their derived products, is growing rapidly around the world, especially in China.

At the same time, the relative importance of the EU market inevitably diminishes. This will discourage efforts by producers and traders in exporting countries to invest in segregating EU approved from non-approved GM material and to continue trading with the EU, considering current 'zero tolerance' for EU unauthorised GM events.