Text tabled : A7-0170/2011

  Anna Maria Corazza Bildt (PPE). - Mr President, I understand that the issue of GMO cultivation may concern Europe’s people, but there is too much emotion in the debate. We have to move from perception and myth to scientific research. It is very important not to undermine the European Safety Agency if it ascertains, on the basis of data and facts, that a specific GMO is safe. It is, of course, necessary to respect the right of Member States to decide how to use their own territory, but I voted against.

If we enable the cultivation of GMOs to be banned for reasons of public order, ethics or public morality we open a Pandora’s box by enabling society to decide what to ban on the basis of what is popular and not what is safe. We need harmonised rules in the European Union based on science.

In the last ten years, over EUR 200 million has been spent on research and risk assessment and so far no evidence has been found to show that GMO crops are harmful. We have to think about feeding 8 billion people in the world and a future generation. Research has to continue. We have to find modern breeds of crops.