EU Court: authorisation of GM soya lawful

The GM soya "Intacta" can continue to be sold in the EU. On Thursday, the EU court (ECJ) in Luxembourg rejected an action against the marketing of this variety produced by the seed corporation Monsanto and contained in animal feed and food for humans.

In the view of the court the soya was risk-tested in compliance with the legal stipulations. According to Testbiotech, the ECJ thus confirmed the testing carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the decision of the EU Commission. Together with three other associations, the EFSA, an institute critical of genetic engineering in agriculture, had brought an action against the Intacta soya bean.

“In fact, the risk testing by the EFSA was not complete. For example, the interactions between the residues of glyphosate and the insecticides that are formed in the plants were not examined,” said Christoph Then from Testbiotech. “We won't give up on this, even though the court has come to a different decision.”

According to the institute, millions of tonnes of genetically modified soya beans are imported every year into the EU. They are contaminated with residues of herbicide mixtures that have never been risk-tested in the EU.

The Intacta variety is grown mainly in Brazil and, according to Testbiotech, has a special combination of characteristics. The plants produce a poison to combat insects and are at the same time insensitive to the herbicide glyphosate. It says that the test to approve Intacta failed to investigate, among other things, what health risks arise from the interactions of glyphosate residues with the insecticide. Moreover, it is suspected that eating this soya raises the risk of diseases of the immune system.