Irish EU vote to back GM maize deplored

Environmental activists have condemned the Government's decision to back moves to allow a form of genetically modified sweetcorn…

Environmental activists have condemned the Government's decision to back moves to allow a form of genetically modified sweetcorn to be imported into the EU.

A committee of food experts from the EU's member-states yesterday failed to agree on whether the maize, called Bt-11, should be admitted, leaving a final decision to EU agriculture ministers.

Ireland joined Britain, Sweden, Finland, Spain and the Netherlands in supporting a proposal to allow the GM maize to be imported and sold.

France, Austria, Greece, Portugal, Denmark and Luxembourg all voted against, while Belgium, Italy and Germany abstained.

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Ms Nuala Ahern, Green Party MEP for Leinster, expressed satisfaction that the proposal had been blocked for now and condemned the Government's vote in favour of it.

"I am very disappointed that the Irish representative saw fit to agree to it. It would be a missed opportunity for Ireland not to be GM free.

"There is a huge consumer demand for GM-free food and we are perfectly placed, as an island, to have a GM-free project," she said.

A spokesman for Greenpeace described the Irish vote as a vote against consumer choice and expressed the hope that the Government would have a change of heart during Ireland's EU Presidency in the first half of next year.

Agriculture ministers have three months to consider their next move, but if a qualified majority of member-states does not oppose the proposal to allow the maize to be imported, the Commission may implement it.