CropLife e-News

EU OKs GM Corn Imports

The European Union (EU) has approved imports of a genetically modified (GM) corn type for sale across its 27 national markets for the next 10 years, said European Commission officials.

The corn, known by its code name GA21, is marketed by Syngenta and will be used in food and animal feed, not for growing in Europe's fields, according to a Reuters news story.

This approval of GA21 corn is of particular interest to grain traders in Spain, and also Portugal, since until now, the GM strain has only been permitted for import in processed form, according to the Reuters article. Spain's growing demand for grain for use in feed is mainly focused on corn. The EU's approval allows GA21 imports as grain and those shipments are expected to come into EU markets mainly from Argentina, a major GM crop grower.

GA21 corn has been engineered to provide resistance to herbicides containing glyphosate. The authorization will only take effect once it has been published in the EU's Official Journal, likely to happen in the next few days, officials said.

According an earlier Reuters news story, the approval does not signal an opening of the EU market for U.S. corn. "The approval does not solve the problem of market access for U.S. corn and co-products into the EU," said Ken Hobbie, U.S. Grains Council president and CEO. "Despite the announcement of GA21’s approval, the Council will continue to work with the Office of the United States Trade Representative to press for positive change in the EU approval process."

Hobbie said there is still a backlog of GM events currently in production in the U.S. that are awaiting review in the EU. Based on the World Trade Organization case filed by the U.S. and its allies, the WTO ruled in U.S. favor citing that new GM events must be considered expeditiously and can be banned only on sound scientific grounds.

(Sources: Reuters; U.S. Grains Council)