December 8,
2003, just-food.com: With six member nations
in favor of new biotech foods and six opposed, the European
Union’s decision on whether or not to lift its
five-year moratorium on biotech foods looks to be at
least another 90 days away.
Experts from EU member states disbanded in a 6-6 stalemate
with three abstentions on whether to allow the sale
of Bt-11, a strain of genetically modified sweetcorn
developed by Swiss firm Syngenta, reported Dow Jones
International News.
If approved the corn will mark the first new gm-product
approved for sale in the EU in the past five years and
a mark change in policy that has been traditionally
gm-leery.
Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and
the UK voted in favor of approving the product, while
Austria, Denmark, France, Greece, Luxembourg and Portugal
voted against it. Belgium, Germany and Italy abstained.
The tied vote means that Syngenta’s application
will now be sent to EU agriculture ministers, who will
have a further 90 days to consider it.
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