Biotech Updates

Deliberate Release of GM Crops in the EU

June 27, 2008

Several transgenic crop varieties are scheduled for non-commercial release in the European Union (EU). These include:

  • Human serum albumin and thaumatin-producing spring barley in Hungary, submitted by TAPTOP Consulting Service Ltd.;
  • Evaluation of rust resistant GM wheat lines developed by Hungary’s Department of Biotechnology, Cereal Research;
  • Bayer BioScience’s hybrid glyphosate tolerant and insect resistance cotton transformation event for agronomic, nutritional and toxicological evaluation in Spain;
  • Complementary trial of Syngenta’s Bt11 x MIR604 x GA21 stacked maize product in Spain;
  • And evaluation of loose smut resistance in spring wheat expressing the KP4 protein developed by University of Rostock in Germany.

Environmental risk assessments have indicated that the research or proof-of-concept releases pose negligible risk to human health and safety to the environment. Certain measures, such as maintaining a 200-meter isolation distance and destruction of GM plant materials after trials, will be adopted by the applicants.

For more information, including details of each application, visit http://gmoinfo.jrc.it/gmp_browse.aspx