BRUSSELS, Belgium, July 20, 2004 (ENS) – After five years of a de facto moratorium on the marketing of genetically modified crops due to public opposition, the European Commission authorized Monday the import and processing of the first genetically modified crop. Monsanto’s genetically modified maize NK603 was approved for use in animal feed or for industrial purposes but not for cultivation or human food.
This authorization is valid for 10 years. The NK603 line of maize, or corn, was developed to allow the use of glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup, as a weed control option. The genetic modification allows the plant to survive the otherwise lethal application of glyphosate.
A separate decision on authorizing the NK603 maize for use in human food will be taken in the coming months after EU agriculture ministers Monday failed to support the Commission’s proposal to allow its import for food.
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