US says EU rules on biotech crops ‘unnecessary’


EU restrictions notably have resulted in delays in the approval of new GM traits “despite positive assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA),” the US Trade Representative’s office said in a report on reducing trade sanitary barriers.

The USTR also criticized the EU for imposing “commercially infeasible requirements” on GE content in under EU Traceability and Labeling regulations.

“Foreign governments continue to impose discriminatory or otherwise unwarranted measures on US ,” Demetrios Marantis, the acting USTR, said in a conference call.

“These barriers not only harm US and farmers… but they also deprive consumers around the world an access to safe, high-quality US food and agricultural goods,” Marantis said.

The US and the EU are planning to launch negotiations aimed at creating the world’s biggest free-trade area that will cover the politically sensitive question of genetically modified crops.

Allowed in the US, they are strictly regulated in the EU where only two have been authorized. Eight member states, including Germany and France, have adopted measures to keep them out.

The USTR pointed to the EU’s “unnecessary and burdensome coexistence requirements to planting of GE crops alongside non-GE crops by certain EU member states.”

A French official, speaking on condition of anonymity last month, said that France did not want the upcoming trade negotiations to cover crops.

(c) 2013 AFP

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Source Article from http://phys.org/news284062277.html

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