Genetically modified Swedes

29 October 2007

The European Commission is in the middle of a transparency drive. So it is keen to keep quiet about a letter sent to the Swedish authorities early in October demanding an explanation for the release of sensitive information about an authorisation application for a genetically-modified crop. The Commission has given Sweden two months to respond. Legal action could follow, writes Stephen Gardner. The documents, describing animal testing of a GM corn developed by Monsanto, were obtained by Greenpeace from the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Greenpeace subsequently published an independent analysis of Monsanto's testing procedures, claiming significant deficiencies. Under EU rules, GM authorisation applications can be filed in any member state, and the details are then circulated throughout the 27 country bloc. In this case, Monsanto submitted an application in the Netherlands, requesting it be kept secret. A first Greenpeace request to the Dutch authorities for the documents was refused. They therefore turned to Sweden, where openness is a basic right. The Commission's intervention now threatens to provoke a clash between Brussels and a fundamental tenet of a member state's national sovereignty. A Commission spokeswoman told Eurocorrespondent.com it was a “rather complicated situation” and the letter to Sweden was “to gather information.” But has the Commission acted with prodding from Monsanto? “Some exchanges between Monsanto and the Commission” took place before the letter went out. And, in the cause of transparency, will the Commission publicly release the letter? No – it is “confidential”. A version of this article originally appeared in Private Eye.

 

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