- In early 2015, the European Parliament adopted a law permitting member states to prohibit or restrict the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in their territories, even where such cultivation is permitted at the EU level. In the aftermath of this legislation, a majority of EU member states requested to “opt out” of GM cultivation in all or part of their territories.
- The Environment Committee of the European Parliament has rejected draft legislation (by a vote of 47-3) that would have permitted countries to restrict the use of imported GM crops that have been approved at the EU level. Unlike the case of GM cultivation — where only one crop has been approved for cultivation in the EU to date — more than 60 GM crops have been approved for import. These approvals cover both human and animal consumption, although most applications involve animal feed uses.
- The full Parliament is set to vote on the draft legislation on October 28. Industry stakeholders encourage continued opposition of the bill due to its potentially significant negative impact on trade within the EU bloc.