Brussels, 07/11/2005 (Agence Europe) -   För fjärde gången, har Europeiska Kommissionen på egen hand beslutat att godkänna en ny genetiskt modifierad produkt att släppa ut på marknaden. En produkt som medlemsländerna nyligen misslyckats med att komma överens om att godkänna. Den här gången rör det sig om en GMO-majssort 1507 från USA, Pioneer Hi-Bred International/Mycogen Seeds, som från och med nu kan importeras helt lagligt och processas för att användas till djurfoder i EU, men inte som livsmedel. Dess godkännande som livsmedel är fortfarande under utredning.   The GMO in question has undergone genetic engineering to make it resistant to certain maize parasites and tolerant to the flugosinate-ammonium herbicide. Notified by Pioneer Hi-Bred International/Mycogen Seeds to the Dutch authorities and then to the European Commission, it had received a positive opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). After a risk assessment, EFSA considered in March this year that the GMO was as safe as any conventional maize, which was a view much disputed by Greenpeace (EUROPE 8903). The request for approval presented by the European Commission had nonetheless received no decision from Member States, which were unable to gather a qualified majority required for endorsing or rejecting it within the relevant regulatory committee (committee of Directive 2001/18 on the voluntary dissemination of GMOs into the environment). The Agriculture Council, to which the dossier was then referred, had not managed to come to a decision on 20 September. Under the terms of the comitology procedure in force, the final decision was therefore up to the European Commission. And the Commission has now decided. In line with the legislation in force, marketing approval will be granted for an initial ten-year period, and maize 1507 will be subject to the traceability and labelling rules in force in the EU since April 2004. The Commission, however, foresees awaiting the decision concerning market approval for this GMO as a human foodstuff, together with a validated method for detection of the GMO, so that the two authorisations can be applied at the same time. Since Directive 2001/18/EC took effect, the European Commission has approved marketing of four GMOs: maize NK603, maize MON863, colza GT173, and now the most recent, maize 1507.