EFSA: Austria’s GM Maize Ban Unjustified

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms concludes, once again, that Austria has presented no new scientific evidence that would justify a ban on two transgenic maize varieties. Since June 1999, Austria had prohibited the placing on the market of the EU-authorized maize events MON810 and T25 from the Monsanto and Bayer companies and justified this decision with reasons of health protection.

Austria invoked Article 16 of Directive 90/220/EEC (safeguard clause) to provisionally prohibit the import, processing and cultivation of the GM maize lines in its territory in May 2000. The European Commission requested EFSA earlier this year to define whether the information submitted by Austria comprises new information that would affect the environmental risk assessment for the uses of the GM maize varieties.

EFSA included in its assessment a widely promoted, controversial study conducted by Jurgen Zuntek and colleagues at the University of Vienna. The scientists allegedly found a link between GM maize (NK603 x Mon810) and infertility in laboratory mice. EFSA noted that methods used in the study are not routinely used for the safety assessment of whole foods and feeds. The GMO Panel also identified various deficiencies in data reporting, methodologies and statistical calculations, which do not allow any interpretation. "EFSA considers that these data do not invalidate the conclusions of the GMO Panel on the safety of MON810 maize.”

Download EFSA’s Scientific Opinion at http://www.efsa.europa.eu/cs/BlobServer/Scientific_Opinion/gmo_op_ej891_austrian_safeg_clause_MON810_T25_maize_en.pdf?ssbinary=true