The European food authority EFSA positively evaluated the readmission request of the genetic engineering company Monsanto for its gene corn sort MON 810. The scientist committee of the EFSA responsible for genetic engineering does not see a danger for environment and health. Also gene corn the EFSA safety certified NK 603. Now the European Commission must decide whether it suggests the permission to the member states.
The permission for MON 810 ran out 2007. Already in April 2007 Monsanto requested the readmission. After your-genuinly corn may be cultivated further, until a decision is present. The EFSA endorsed the renewed permission now. The GMO committee of the EFSA argued in its statement also with the arguments of the European Union member states, which forbade the cultivation of MON 810. The scientists admit that deadly and damaging effects are to be feared moths of Bt-Maispollen on butterflies, and in principle. But do not act it around significant orders of magnitude. Gene corn NK603 produces the insect poison Bt and is at the same time resistant to the Monsanto pesticide RoundUp. It is not so far in the European Union certified.
Despite the positive evaluation by the EFSA it is not sure that the European Commission permits MON 810 again. Because in the future also the socio-economic effects of the cultivation are to be considered of genetic engineering plants. In addition the proposal is not yet decided to possibly leave the permission for the cultivation to the individual member states.
Greenpeace called the appraisals of the EFSA negligent. The authority ignores the serious security doubts of all European member states, which forbade gene corn to the cultivation, criticized genetic engineering expert Stephanie Töwe. A car without seat belt and with defective engine also nobody certifies to be traffic efficient. This security authority does not become fair their name. The environment organization Friends OF the Earth raised heavy reproaches against the EFSA. The authority had made the evaluations available Monsanto first, before they were published. To the light this came, because Monsanto already praised the statement of the EFSA one day before their publication in a press release.