Poland accused of not monitoring and controlling GMOs

The European Commission is preparing a decision to refer Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for the lack of implementation of Directive 2001/18/EC that concerns the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms, Naturalne Geny reports.

The protection of human health and the environment requires that due attention is given to controlling risks from the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms into the environment. The European Union has consequently adopted a legislative framework on the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment and the placing of GMOs on the market in accordance with the precautionary principle. This framework aims to improve the efficiency and transparency of the authorisation procedures. It also contributes to the establishment of a common methodology for risk assessment and a safety mechanism. The Commission considers that Poland has failed to meet the Directive's requirements.

Poland does not fulfill the obligation to monitor and control GMOs which have been cultivated and released into the environment, according to article 4 of Directive 2001/18/EC stating that: "Member States shall, in accordance with the precautionary principle, ensure that all appropriate measures are taken to avoid adverse effects on human health and the environment which might arise from the deliberate release or the placing on the market of GMOs." Contrary to the European Union law, the Government of Poland does not require commercial GMO farms to: register GMO cultivation; inform the land owner of GMO cultivation, in case of leasehold; create buffer zones; inform neighbours of GMO cultivation; take precautionary measures by separating GMO seeds from conventional seeds; and meet other conditions for coexistence with conventional crops.

An official complaint was sent to European Commission by the Polish Institute of Citizens Affairs "INSPRO" in 2010. Also the Polish Supreme Audit Chamber Report of 2008 stated that Poland is violating this EU Directive. There is also no data on the presence of GMOs in the environment and in home trade, which according to the Chamber makes Poland unable to control GMOs being released into the environment. The situation in Poland will make the authorities unable to control GM crops in the future, because these crops have not been registered and are widely traded without labeling, so the farmers often are unaware that they cultivate GMOs. If GMO cultivation gets out of control, in a few years the European Union could face a situation in which certain foodstuffs will contain illegal GMO presence (especially honey and organic produce), which could mean closing foreign markets for Polish food. More information is available in the letter of the European Commission to INSPRO (in Polish), which is available here: http://naturalnegeny.pl