19 EU States reject GMO corn; Council approves anyway
by Rady Ananda
Nineteen of the European Union’s 28 states rejected Dupont’s insecticidal corn, citing concern for pollinators. Five EU states approved the genetically modified maize, and four abstained.
But because state votes are weighted based on population size, no clear majority was reached either way, which leaves it up to the European Commission, who approved Dupont Pioneer’s TC1507 corn on February 11.
The Commission approved TC1507 for import in November 2005 and five months later approved it for human consumption. This week’s approval will allow for its cultivation.
French activist and politician Jose Bove condemned the approval and explained that Germany’s abstention prevented a majority vote rejection of the corn.
