Biotech Updates

EU-JRC Report on Concrete Measures to Avoid Mixing of GM and Conventional Maize

October 1, 2010

A Report on the Best Practice Documents for coexistence of genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming with focus on maize crop production was written by the European Coexistence Bureau and published by the European Commission's Joint Research Center. It  was presented by the Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli to the Agriculture Council. The report concludes  that "specific measures relating to storage and the application of isolation distances can help limit or avoid the co-mingling of genetically modified (GM) maize with conventional and organic maize." The practice of temporal isolation is possible in several EU countries with specific climatic conditions.

The news release also presented Commissioner Dalli's statement that "the suggested practices contained in this important document are applicable within the framework of the Commission's new approach to coexistence and GMO cultivation adopted in July. They are in full accordance with the spirit and aims of the proposal, which provides Member States with more flexibility to organize the co-existence of GM, conventional and organic crop. This document details a set of non-binding practices, which aim to assist Member States develop and refine their national or regional approaches to co-existence."

See the press release at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1181&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en The document can be downloaded at  http://ecob.jrc.ec.europa.eu/documents/Maize.pdf