In Brussels, the ambassadors of the EU member states have voted in favour of an agreement that would enable member states to decide themselves whether to allow the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within their own territory for economic and social reasons. Now all that is required is the support of the European Parliament; the vote is expected to take place in mid-January.

The Government has been fighting on every possible forum for years to ensure that genetically modified organisms cannot be cultivated here in Hungary. The country has played a leading role in the fight to remain GMO-free at both a European Union and international level.

Keeping a country free from GMOs and introducing and maintaining a GMO ban is extremely difficult within the framework of the current EU system. It requires extremely expensive tests, while in fact the final decision rests not with Hungary, but is decided instead of us by other member states and the European Commission. According to the recommendation adopted at the ambassadors’ meeting, introducing a ban would become much easier in future and could be based not only on environmental and health reasons, but also on other criteria.

Keeping Hungary GMO-free is a key strategic issue for Hungary and is also set down in the country’s constitution. The new proposal could provide us with an effective tool that works in the long term and is based on solid legal foundations, according to which the decision on banning GMOs would rest in the hands of individual member states. In contrast with the current system, in which the decision to maintain such bans is made by the European Commission and the other member states.

Thanks to the successful cooperation between the Government and People’s Party MEPs, the recommendation makes it clear that the rights of individual member states to ban the cultivation of genetically modified organisms cannot be questioned.

Hungary has played a leading role in the fight to maintain the country’s GMO-free status, and this political victory has now reinforced Hungary’s persistent standpoint, that genetically modified organism should not be cultivated and member states must have the right to say no to corporations who request permission to cultivate GMOs, at a European Union level.

(Ministry of Agriculture)