Dow, DuPont, Monsanto & Syngenta win partial EU OK for biotech corn
By Agri-Pulse Staff
© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Washington, July 28 – Bending to pressure to a limited extent, the European Union has approved six GMO (genetically modified organism) corn varieties for import, processing and food and feed use of grain and processed products – not for cultivation. The approval comes from the EU's European Commission after previous delays caused by disagreements among EU member states.
Monsanto Company welcomed the European Union authorization of two of its corn technology combinations, Genuity VT Double PRO and YieldGard VT Triple. “We welcome the Commission’s decision to follow the independent scientific advice of the European Food Safety Authority,” said Monsanto Global Regulatory Lead Jerry Hjelle. “Farmers use these and other technologies to help improve the productivity of their farms and raise grain in a more sustainable way that uses fewer pesticides. These authorizations will also enable shipment of grain and its derivatives from these products for use as feed ingredients by European livestock industry.”
DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred and Dow AgroSciences, a Dow Chemical Company subsidairy, won approval for corn with the Herculex® I insect protection and the Herculex® RW trait stack and corn containing the Herculex® RW, Herculex® I and Roundup Ready® Corn 2 trait stack.
“These approvals show promising movement in the EU for biotech approvals,” said Pioneer Hi-Bred President Paul E. Schickler. “We are encouraged by these approvals and urge the Commission and EU Member States to similarly approve biotech crops for cultivation so Europe’s farmers have access to the same technologies as other farmers around the world.”
“These approvals tell us that the EU recognizes the extensive health and safety data supporting the use of these biotech products,” said Dow AgroSciences’ President and CEO Antonio Galindez. “These authorizations are essential to ensuring that maize products can be freely traded and that the European livestock industry has continued access to the feed derived from them.”
One of the EU GMO approvals was to renew previous EU approval for the insect-resistant Bt11 corn developed by the Swiss-based biotech company Syngenta. That approval had expired in 2007.
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