EU ministers at odds over approval of GMO foods

European Union farm ministers fell short of a consensus agreement on Monday to allow imports of five genetically modified (GMO) products, paving the way for default approval by legal rubberstamp, EU officials said.

The products
were four insect-resistant GMO maize types, including three hybrids
developed by U.S. biotech company Monsanto Co from existing GMOs. The
other maize, GA21, is marketed by Swiss agrochemicals company
Syngenta.

The other
GMO product was a potato made by German chemicals group BASF known as
Amflora and engineered to produce high amounts of starch for use in
industrial processing but whose by-products can also be used in
animal feed.

None of the five GMOs is intended for
growing in the 27-country EU's fields but for use in food and animal
feed.

"There
was no qualified majority either for or against any of the proposals
on GMOs," one official said. Under the EU's complex weighted
voting system, countries have different influence in a decision and
must reach a consensus majority.