EU Court annuls controversial Dalli decision on GM maize

Greenpeace has welcomed a decision by the EU General Court today Friday, annulling the authorisation of a controversial genetically modified (GM) potato in 2010, by former European commissioner for health and consumer policy John Dalli.

The EU Court found that the Commission "significantly failed to fulfil its procedural obligations".

As in the GM potato case examined by the court, the Commission did not ask the committee of national experts to vote on its proposal to approve GM maize 1507 after the European Food Safety Authority had issued new scientific opinions. Instead, it amended the proposal and sent it directly to the Council of Ministers. According to the ruling, the Commission should have resubmitted it to the member state committee."Given this ruling, Greenpeace calls on the European Commission to withdraw its recent proposal to approve the cultivation of GM maize 1507, the first such proposal since the GM potato was authorised. The ruling demonstrates that the Commission committed the same legal errors in pushing both authorisations."

BASF's Amflora antibiotic-resistant potato was authorised by the Commission in March 2010. Greenpeace accused the Commission of ignoring significant scientific concerns and disregarding dominant public opposition to GM crops, and collected, together with Avaaz, one million signatures in a petition for protest.

In May 2010, Hungary brought an action for annulment of the Commission's authorisation and soon after, France, Luxembourg, Austria and Poland intervened in the proceedings in support of Hungary.

Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said: "Today's legal judgment demolishes the Commission plans to rush through the approval of Pioneer-DuPont's GM maize 1507 for cultivation. The Commission must withdraw its proposal, in line with EU legal requirements."