BRUSSELS - The EU Commission has stressed that health and environmental factors are foremost in approving genetically modified foods.
It is also protesting that farmers and environmentalists have called for an outright ban.
"GMOs are one of the most sensitive dossiers on my desk," said EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou during a meeting with farmers in Brussels, organised by Greenpeace.
"Our priority is to make sure when we authorise (GM food) that there is no risk for people, animals and environment," she said.
Greenpeace's EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero handed over a petition with 180,000 signatures calling on the EU executive to stop the authorisation of GM rice made by German pharmaceutical giant Bayer.
Next Monday, the European Commission will ask EU farm ministers to authorise trade in several varieties of genetically modified maize.
Most of the 27 EU nations are opposed to genetically modified crops because of environmental risks.
The Weekly Times Copyright © 2009
