NFU Scotland has expressed disappointment that European discussions on introducing sensible tolerance levels for the detection of non-EU approved GM varieties in animal feed imports continue to drag on after years of debate.

The current European Commission position is a zero-tolerance policy for the import of any animal feed contaminated by GM material not yet approved for use in the EU.   The discovery of any such contamination in a shipload of feed material, regardless of the level found, results in rejection of the whole load.   Following discussions that first began in October 2008, Europe finally brought forward a proposal in November 2010 that would see a tolerance threshold of 0.1 percent introduced where specific criteria were met. 

The proposal was discussed at a European committee yesterday but failed to secure the qualified majority required for its adoption.  The proposal will not be discussed again until late February with France asking for further risk assessment work that could delay a decision even further.

While the current zero tolerance policy for non-approved GM feed remains in place, NFU Scotland believes that the risk of such rejection will continue to add unnecessary extra cost to vegetable protein at a time when livestock producers are paying record prices for feed grains.

NFU Scotland’s Pigs and Poultry Policy Manager Peter Loggie said:

“This further delay in deciding on the presence of not-yet EU approved GM in feed shipments is a blow for the many Scottish farmers who rely on imported soya and maize as a protein source to feed their animals.   It is also a blow against scientific evidence and common sense. 

“In December, Europe published a second report on EU research projects conducted over the past 25 years concluding that GMOs present no more risk to the environment or food and feed safety than conventional plants.  Yet once again we find some Member States ignoring science in favour of emotion by delaying a decision that would introduce a perfectly reasonable degree of tolerance for any not-yet EU approved GM found in feed shipments. 

“These same Member States seem to forget that the varieties we are discussing, while not approved for importation to the EU, are approved elsewhere in the world and are often being widely grown and used.   There is no restriction on the importation of livestock products from third countries where the animals produced may have eaten a diet consisting entirely feed not yet approved for use here.   Yet yesterday we had some members blocking a proposal that would have allowed feed shipments containing very low amounts of these unapproved varieties into the EU as animal feed.  

“As a result of their dithering, should another ship full of imported soya arrive at a European port tomorrow and be discovered to have a trace amount of a GM variety yet to be approved in the EU, the whole valuable shipment will be sent packing and feed prices to European producers will continue to increase.  Given that Europe needs to import almost 80 percent of its protein requirements for livestock, this unnecessary zero tolerance approach will continue to heap costs onto livestock producers.” 

Notes to editors

• Member States attending the Permanent Committee for Biotechnology in Brussels this week considered a draft regulation allowing a minimum presence of non-authorised GMOs in feed up until a maximum threshold of 0.1%.
• To benefit from the 0.1% threshold varieties would already have to be approved elsewhere and have successfully completed specific stages of the EU approval process.
• NFU Scotland understands that France, Poland, Hungary, Cyprus, Malta, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Luxembourg voted against with France arguing for a full impact assessment of any unapproved GM variety found to be included in the proposals.   The UK is reported to have voted in favour of the proposal along with Germany, Italy and Ireland.   DG Sanco has therefore withdrawn the proposal, will draft a new one and present it at the animal nutrition standing committee in Brussels on 22-23 February.

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Contact Bob Carruth on 0131 472 4006