Dutch Must Return GMO Maize if Unauthorised - EU
Date: 01-May-07
Country: BELGIUM
A European Commission spokesman said the European Food Safety Authority had found that the type of genetically engineered maize Greenpeace said was in the shipment was not a health threat, but it had yet to be approved for use in the EU.
"It is still unlawful at the moment," Michael Mann said.
"The Dutch authorities have to test this shipment to acertain whether or not it is an unauthortised GMO," he said. "If that is the case they will have to ensure it is sent back to the United States."
Mann said Dutch authorities would have to provide information to other EU countries on the steps they had taken and advise whether any of the cargo of corn gluten animal feed had been unloaded in another EU state.
Greenpeace said the vessel had offloaded part of its cargo in Ireland, but Mann said it was currently unclear if that was the case, even though the shipment had travelled via Ireland from New Orleans en route to Rotterdam.
The environment group said this was at least the fourth time in the past two years that unapproved genetically modified organisms (GMOs) had entered Europe.
"Given the evidence, official traceability and testing systems are patently unable to detect illegal GMO varieties entering Europe," it said.
The group called on the EU's executive Commission to suspend all imports of US agricultural produce at risk of being contaminated with unauthorised GMOs.
A spokeswoman for the Dutch Environment Ministry said she had no information on the specific case but that under Dutch law a ship with an illegal shipment normally had to be returned.
A spokesman for Rotterdam port said the ship was not there on Monday and he did not know when it had left or for where.
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom in Brussels and Foo Yun Chee in
Amsterdam)