World Trade Organization finds in favor of U.S. in European Union GMO ban
A trade dispute closely watched for years by the biotechnology industry as well as by those who have voiced their support and opposition toward GM foods finally came to a decision earlier this week when the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in favor of a complaint brought by the United States, Canada, and Argentina against the European Union’s (EU) ban on GMOs.
In what’s been called one of the longest and most complex rulings the commerce body has issued, the World Trade Organization ruled that the European Union broke international trade rules by imposing a “de facto” moratorium on agricultural biotechnology products. The panel’s preliminary report focused on six EU member countries – Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Luxembourg – and their individual GMO bans, which violated those international trade rules.
This long standing dispute over the GMO ban dates back to 1998 when the moratorium was first imposed. The U.S., joined by Canada and Argentina, filed the complaint against the EU in 2003, claiming that the ban on approvals of genetically modified foods violated a food trade treaty that requires regulatory decisions to be made without “undue delay” and to be based on science. The EU countered that there was no moratorium and, in 2004, essentially ended its biotech ban when it allowed a genetically engineered strain of sweet corn, grown mainly in the US, to enter the European market.
Many U.S. biotechnology, food, and agricultural groups applauded the WTO’s preliminary finding. A statement issued by AgBioWorld Foundation said that the ruling now gives European farmers the option to use “safe, approved, and proven tools to grow food crops”. U.S. officials also supported the decision, including U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, who said that the continuing adoption of agricultural biotechnology around the world is proof enough that “it provides tremendous benefits to farmers and rural communities.”
As usual, several environmental groups condemned the ruling, including Friends of the Earth, which said the decision pressures other countries, especially developing countries, to accept genetically modified foods “against their will.”
So, what does this decision mean? It means an opportunity to open European markets to American farmers and more U.S. businesses, thereby increasing world trade and, isn’t that the purpose of having an organization like the WTO in the first place? It means that university scientists and researchers, like those that I’ve sought funding for over the years, may have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in European nations to develop innovative products using biotechnology for the betterment of individuals around the world. It means that farmers in European countries potentially have the chance to increase their agricultural productivity wherever these GMO crops are planted, growing foods that are more nutritious and don’t rely so heavily on insecticides. More importantly, the World Trade Organization’s decision reinforces all that has been said in countless studies and by scientists, academics, and organizations for years – that genetically modified foods are safe.
Although the United States was victorious with this initial ruling, I believe this battle over biotech foods in Europe is far from over, given that the final WTO panel ruling is due in the next month or so and the appeals that certainly will follow over the next several months or perhaps years. Nevertheless, this decision is a crucial step in the acceptance of genetically modified foods around the world. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens next.
