ENVI II

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Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety II (ENVI II):

Bearing the risks and reaping the benefits of genetically modified crops: what stance should Europe take considering both their potential to boost agricultural production and efficiency worldwide as well as the environmental, public health and socio-economic impact of their application?

Committee Article

Producing genetically modified (GM) crops has helped to increase their harvest and nutritious value by introducing new genes into the crops, which make some resist disease and pests and allow others to grow in unfavourable conditions, thus helping fight hunger world-wide. The use of GM crops also allows for significant cost-cutting in agriculture, making its production more efficient for the industry and more affordable for the consumers. At the same time scientists raise concerns over the safety of GM foods, especially with regard to the risk of increasing food allergies and antibiotic resistance in human beings and the potential harm to the natural biodiversity and the environment. While the current EU legislation on GM crops is very stringent, it has not been updated since 2004, despite the regulation and risk evaluation reports conducted in 2010-2011. Recent scientific reports also argue that without GM crops European agriculture will not achieve its sustainability goals. Some of the issues that the delegates of ENVI II will need to discuss are how to ensure that the EU regulations on GM crops do not impede the development of the agricultural production, are up to date with latest scientific developments and approaches and allow to use the benefits of growing GM crops while minimising their risks.

Links:

  • World Health Organization: 20 questions on genetically modified foods: http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/biotech/20questions/en/
  • European Food and Safety Authority: overview of the EU regulatory framework for genetically modified organisms and a video explaining what genetically modified plants are: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/gmo.htm
  • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on weighing the main arguments that have been put forward in favour of and against the use of GMOs in agriculture: http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo7.htm (arguments in favour); http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/gmo8.htm (arguments against)
  • GMO Compass: news, useful links, country specific regulations and much more relevant information on the use of genetically modified organisms in Europe: http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/home/
  • The EU regulatory framework on GMOs – European Commission, DG Health and Consumers: http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm

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