How EU member states have tried (and failed) to reach agreement on GMOs – and what it could mean for EU decision-making

The regulation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is a controversial topic across the EU, and member states have repeatedly failed to reach decisions on the issue. This deadlock led in part to a proposal by the European Commission in February 2017 to fundamentally change the EU’s comitology procedure, with new rules being established for votes in the Council of the European Union.

Based on a recent study, Monika Mühlböck and Jale Tosun illustrate the factors that have shaped member states’ voting behaviour on GMOs. They show that voting behaviour has been significantly influenced by national factors such as public opinion, party politics, and structural as well as sectoral interests. But while different interests are well represented in the decision-making process, these interests cannot be reflected in the outcome (i.e. the authorisation of GMOs) as long as the final decision is referred back to the European Commission for approval.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Food Safety > Plants > Genetically Modified Organisms https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo_en

ESO: Find further information in ESO on GMOs http://www.europeansources.info/advSearchLink?keyword=GMOs&searchOption=all

European Commission: Food Safety > Plants > Standing committees > Genetically Modified Food and Feed and Environmental Risk https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/standing_committees/sc_modif_genet_en

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