New European commission mulls GMO shake-up EU: August 9, 1999 BRUSSELS - The European Commission's environment department is set to lose responsibility for policy on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in a shake-up aimed at encouraging more consistent, science-based policy-making, European Union officials said late last week. Commission President-designate Romano Prodi, aware of growing public concern over the safety of food produced from GMOs, may hand control over the controversial new technology to Irishman David Byrne, who heads a new health and consumer affairs department. "The indications are that Prodi wants to shift things around and GMOs would fall under the new health directorate," one official told Reuters. "There's a feeling that there's been too many cooks spoiling the broth so far, and the environment people have never been the biggest fans of GMOs," he added. No new genetically modified crops have been approved in the EU since April 1998 as governments have struggled to overcome public anxiety about possible health and environmental risks associated with GMOs. Life sciences companies feel they have not been well served by the current arrangements, because environmentalists opposed to GMOs have had the ear of officials responsible for making policy on biotechnology. "We have been rather in disagreement with the outgoing Environment Commissioner Mrs. (Ritt) Bjerregaard," said a spokesman for Europabio, which represents biotechnology firms operating in Europe. "But the proof of the pudding of any changes would be in the eating." U.S. officials welcomed the idea of a reorganisation of responsibility in the Commission. Washington has been frustrated by delays in Europe in approving GMOs developed by U.S. firms and grown by American farmers. It has warned that trade problems over GMOs could dwarf recent disputes over bananas and beef. "If this is what Prodi is planning, it would seem to make good sense," a U.S. diplomat said. "The debate in Europe has become far too politicised." Even if the Commission, the instigator of EU legislation, changes the way it deals with GM technology, the final decision-making powers lie with the European Parliament and, more particularly, government ministers from the 15 EU states. Some EU countries have already said they have no intention of taking away the final say from environment ministers. Most environment ministers agreed in June they would block all applications to register new GMOs until new approval rules were in place, which may not be until 2002. The depth of public anxiety has been underlined by recent attacks on British farms involved in trials of GM crops. Story by Michael Mann REUTERS NEWS SERVICE