Biotech Updates

Limited Release of GMO in Denmark and Romania

March 27, 2009

Notifications for the release of genetically modified corn varieties for non-commercial use in Romania and Denmark have been posted online. For the month of March, these include:

  • Variety testing of Monsanto's herbicide-resistant NK603 corn in Romania and Denmark. The GM corn expresses CP4 EPSPS proteins, which impart tolerance to glyphosate, the active ingredient in the non-selective herbicide Roundup. The trials will be performed as required for the inclusion of the corn lines in Romania's National Catalogue of Varieties of Agricultural Plant Species and for variety approval in Denmark.
  • Field trial of Syngenta Crop Protection's herbicide-tolerant corn event GA21. The release will take place in two sites at Fyn, Denmark on a maximum total area of 1 ha per trial site.
  • Syngenta Agro SRL's MIR162 corn in Romania. The corn variety expresses the vip3Aa1 gene from Bacillus thuringiensis that confers resistance to certain lepidopteran insect pests. The field trial will be conducted at thirteen different location sites on a maximum total area of 600 sqm/site.

Environmental risk assessments have indicated that the releases pose negligible risk to human health and safety, or to the environment. The applicants are bound to adopt certain measures, such as maintaining a 200-meter isolation distance and destruction of GM plant materials after trials to avoid spread of GM materials in the environment.

For more information, visit http://gmoinfo.jrc.ec.europa.eu/gmp_browse.aspx