Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
In a pluralistic society, agreement over complex issues is frequently difficult to achieve. This is amply demonstrated by the question of cultivation of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), where scientific uncertainty relating to potential threats to the environment or human health runs parallel with concerns over ethics, freedom of choice, and competing agricultural and economic interests. Conflict centres over the objective of free trade of GMOs and the circumstances in which restrictions may legitimately be imposed to deal with the abovementioned concerns, in particular regarding cultivation.
1 E.g., outcrossing and “superweeds” due to pesticide resistance.Google Scholar
2 E.g., antibiotic resistance, allergens, and general potential long-term effects.Google Scholar
3 E.g., through interfering with nature or taking/imposing unnecessary risks versus the possibility of developing crops suitable for climates where conventional crops are incapable of being grown in famine ridden countries.Google Scholar
4 Of both producers and consumers, e.g., whether there is a veritable possibility to have a choice between GM and truly non-GM crops/products, considering issues of admixture.Google Scholar
5 Of producers and States, where for instance there is a valuable market for organic products.Google Scholar
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7 Council Directive 90/220/EEC on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms, 1990 OJ (L 117) 15.Google Scholar
8 This issue fell within the scope of Regulation 258/97/EC concerning novel foods and novel food ingredients, 1997 OJ (L 43) 1 where the concept of “substantial equivalence” applied.Google Scholar
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11 Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg declared at the Council meeting of 24/25 June 1999 that they would ‘take steps to have any new authorisations for growing and placing on the market suspended', until their concerns over risk assessments, traceability and labelling were resolved through new legislation. Europa Press Release: 2194th Council Meeting-Environment-Luxembourg, 24/25 June 1999, 9409/99, No. 203, available at http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/envir/ACF5B.htm (accessed Dec. 8, 2010). At the same meeting, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden all declared their concerns, and a quasi temporary moratorium pending assurances of safety. Both groups noted public concerns, transparency and the precautionary principle as motivations for their Declarations. Ian Sheldon, Europe's Regulation of Agricultural Biotechnology: Precaution or Trade Distortion? 2 J. Agric. & Food Indus. Org. 1 (2004); and Elsa Tsioumani, Genetically Modified Organisms in the EU: Public attitudes and Regulatory Developments, 13 RECIEL 279 (2004).Google Scholar
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13 The Panel found that the de facto moratorium, the substantial delays in authorization and the national bans were all in breach of certain provisions: Section VIII Conclusions and Recommendations of the Panel's Report ibid.Google Scholar
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19 The last two were to be protected through the combined means of labelling and coexistence: Justo Corti-Varela, Coexistence of Genetically Modified, Conventional and Organic Products in the European Market: State of the Art Report, 1 Eur. J. Risk Reg. 63, 65 (2010).Google Scholar
20 EU's Press Release, Questions and Answers on the EU's new approach to the cultivation of GMOs, Brussels, 13th July 2010, MEMO/10/325, available at http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/325&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en (accessed Dec. 8, 2010. See also GMO Free Europe 2010, GE Cultivation Bans in Europe, available at http://www.gmo-free-regions.org/gmo-free-regions/bans.html (accessed Dec. 8, 2010). The usual list of safeguard measures is currently unavailable on the Commission's website due to restructuring.Google Scholar
21 A number of Member States have already banned the cultivation of Amflora Potato since its EU authorization in March 2010. Commission Communication on the freedom for Member States to decide on the cultivation of genetically modified crops, COM (2010) 380 final (Jul. 13, 2010).Google Scholar
22 EU move to break GM deadlock could sow discord, EurActiv with Reuters (June 30, 2010), http://www.euractiv.com/en/eu-move-break-gm-deadlock-could-sow-discord-news-495753.Google Scholar
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25 Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 March 2001 on the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms and repealing Council Directive 90/220/EEC, 2001 OJ (L 106) 1.Google Scholar
26 Due to the principle of supremacy (e.g. Costa v ENEL, 1964 E.C.R. 585) and duty of loyal or sincere cooperation (to be found in ex Article 10 EC Treaty and in Article 4 Treaty on the EU).Google Scholar
27 Under Article 260 TFEU. In Case C-121/07, Commission of the European Communities v. France 2008 E.C.R. I-9159, the Court imposed a fine upon France for failure to implement Directive 2001/18 (n15).Google Scholar
28 Joined Cases C-6/90 and C-9/90 Francovich v Italy, 1991 E.C.R. I-5357.Google Scholar
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33 Directive 2001/18, supra note 15, art. 22.Google Scholar
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37 Regulation 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety [2002] OJ L 31/1.Google Scholar
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39 For example, Article 16 in the 1990 GMO Directive, supra note 7, Article 23 in the Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18, supra note 25, and Article 34 in Regulation 1829/2003, supra note 16.Google Scholar
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43 Commission Proposals to compel Member States to remove safeguard measures as unjustified: (COM 161) (2005), (COM 162) (2005), (COM 164) (2005), (COM 165) (2005), (COM 166) 2005, (COM 167) (2005), (COM 168) (2005), (COM 169) (2005), (COM 509) (2006), (COM 510) (2006), (COM 713)(2006), (COM 586) (2007), (COM 589) (2007), (COM 12) (2009), (COM 51) (2009), and (COM 56) (2009).Google Scholar
44 E.g., Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms on a request from the European Commission related to the safeguard clause invoked by Austria on oilseed rape MS8, RF3 and MS8xRF3 according to Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC, 2009 EFSA J. 1153. In addition, see the list of questions referenced by Corti-Varela, supra note 19, at n. 8.Google Scholar
45 Case C-6/99, Association Greenpeace France and Others v Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Pěche and Others, 2000 E.C.R. I-1651, para. 44, where the Court ruled that Directive 90/220 dealt with environmental and human health risks in compliance with the precautionary principle via inter alia the safeguard clause in its Article 16 and the risk assessment procedure.Google Scholar
46 It has been present within the Environmental Title since the Maastricht Treaty, 1992. A high level of environmental protection is to be achieved in accordance with a number of principles including the precautionary principle.Google Scholar
47 E.g., Joined Cases T-74/00, T-76/00, T-83/00, T-84/00, T-85/00, T-132/00, T-137/00, & T-141/00, Artegodan GmbH v. Commission, 2002 E.C.R. 11–4945, para. 184; Case C-132/03, Ministero della Salute v Coordinamento delle Associazioni per la Difesa dell'Ambiente e dei Diritti degli Utenti e dei Consumatori (Codacons), 2005 E.C.R. I-4167, para. 35 (“That interpretation of Community law is compelling not only because it reflects the logic of the system but also on account of the precautionary principle, a general principle of Community law, which demands the best possible information.”). On general principles of law, in the context of the EU, see Tridimas, Takis, The General Principles of EU Law (2d ed. 2007).Google Scholar
48 E.g., Artegodan, supra note 47, at para. 184, 186.Google Scholar
49 As the Council block actions by the Commission to lift these prohibitions-outlined in following paragraph.Google Scholar
50 Comm'n v. France, supra note 27.Google Scholar
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52 Comm'n v. France, supra note 27, Advocate General's Opinion, at para. 44.Google Scholar
53 By the time of the CJEU's Judgment, France had made major steps in implementation and were also near to promulgating Loi n 2008-595 du juin 2008 (n49) which would implement Directive 2001/18 fully.Google Scholar
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57 Commission Decision 2008/495/EC concerning the provisional prohibition of the use and sale in Austria of genetically modified maize (Zea mays L. line MON810) pursuant to Directive 2001/18/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council, 2008 OJ (L 172) 25. It details the Council's previous refusal to take action, as well as the Commission's decision to propose action only on food and feed.Google Scholar
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59 Member States may also maintain measures via Article 114 (4) TFEU, where necessary to protect the environment, working environment or those objectives within Article 36 TFEU. The restrictions of ‘specificity’ and new scientific evidence’ on Article 114 (5) TFEU are not imposed here, however limitations still apply and the provision is less relevant to the issue of GMOs.Google Scholar
60 Consequently health protection is excluded, as are the other concerns of Member States.Google Scholar
61 Therefore, as highlighted by the Advocate General Sharpston in her opinion of 15 May 2007 in C-439/05, Land Oberösterreich and Austria v Commission, 2007 E.C.R. I-07141, para. 139, the Member State must fulfil 5 conditions cumulatively: ‘i) new evidence must be presented, (ii) the evidence must be scientific, (iii) it must relate to protection of the environment or the working environment, (iv) there must be a problem specific to the Member State, and (v) the problem must have arisen after the adoption of the harmonising measure.'Google Scholar
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63 E.g., Commission Decision 2003/653/EC relating to national provisions on banning the use of genetically modified organisms in the region of Upper Austria notified by the Republic of Austria pursuant to Article 95(5) of the EC Treaty, 2003 OJ (L 230) 34. Article 95(5) EC was renumbered as Article 114 (5) TFEU following the Lisbon Treaty.Google Scholar
64 Reviews/reassessments were insufficient in Opinion of the Scientific Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms on a question from the Commission related to the Austrian notification of national legislation governing GMOs under Article 95(5) of the Treaty, 2003 EFSA J. 1.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
65 The General Court upheld the European Food Safety Authority's interpretation in Joined Cases T-366/03 and T-235/04, Land Oberösterreich and Republic of Austria v Commission, 2005 E.C.R. II-4005.Google Scholar
66 Decision 2003/653/EC, supra note 63; Sheldon, supra note 11; Fleurke, supra note 62. However it should be highlighted that Advocate General Sharpston in Land Oberösterreich, supra note 61, at para. 142, indicated that a new analysis of original data could lead to new conclusions which could constitute new evidence. Further the Advocate General stated that if the problem was latent and the Member State only became aware of the problem since the harmonising measure, this could fulfil the requirement that the problem arise only since the harmonising measure. However Austria failed to establish that these two requirements were fulfilled on the facts. The CJEU did not comment on this issue as for the purposes of the appeal it was only necessary to establish if the Commission and GCEU had correctly assessed the requirement of a ‘specific problem', as if this requirement was not fulfilled by a Member State, then they would not be able to justify the national measures under Article 114(5) TFEU.Google Scholar
67 The General Court in Land Oberösterreich, supra note 65, at para. 65–67, referred to the necessity of the unique or unusual character of the State's problem. However the CJEU, supra note 61 at para. 65–67, clarified that specificity was broader than uniqueness, although what it entails exactly is still unclear.Google Scholar
68 The CJEU recently side-stepped an opportunity to expand the concept; see supra note 66.Google Scholar
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74 Senden, L., Soft Law in European Community Law (2004). For a common definition see Snyder, Francis, The Effectiveness of European Community Law: Institutions, Processes, Tools and Technique, 56 Modern L. Rev. 19, 32 (1993) (“rules of conduct which, in principle, have no legally binding force but which nevertheless have practical effects”). Oana Stefan, European Competition Soft Law in European Courts: A Matter of Hard Principles?, 14 Eur. L.J. 753 (2008), provides for an extension to Snyder's definition to include legal effects also.Google Scholar
75 2003 Coexistence Recommendation, supra note 30.Google Scholar
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82 This was also seen in the Communication on the European Action Plan for Organic Food and Farming (COM 415) (2004) at Section 1.4 where organic farming was stated to be beneficial to public health, social and rural development, animal welfare and the environment.Google Scholar
83 2010 Coexistence Recommendation, supra note 23, Guidelines, Section 1.1. This more closely reflects Regulation 834/2007/EC on organic production and labelling of organic products and repealing Regulation (EEC) No 2092/91, 2007OJ (L 189) 1, which states that should aim at the lowest possible level of presence in the Recitals, and Article 9 which states that no GMOs should be used in organic agriculture.Google Scholar
84 It should be pointed out that there have been important statements in contradiction with this within the Commission. In his speech at the Conference, the Commissioner for the Environment, Stavros Dimas, stated that co-existence measures could protect the environment as well as economics. Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for the Environment, “Coexistence of genetically modified, conventional and organic crops: Freedom of choice,” April 5, 2006, available at http://www.europa-eu-un.org/articles/en/article_5884_en.htm (accessed 8 December 2010).Google Scholar
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93 The EU provides protection for what are described as “quality products” and includes protected designation of origin, protected geographical indication and traditional specialties guarantees. See Commission, European, Geographical Indications and Traditional Specialties, available at www.ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/schemes/index_en.htm. As well as the economic aspects acceptable to the Commission, there are further societal, cultural and potentially health benefits to these. In Case 196/85, Commission v France, 1987 E.C.R. 1597, protection of traditional and customary methods was upheld as a legitimate objective.Google Scholar
94 Joined Cases C-465/02 and C-466/02, Germany and Denmark v Commission, 2005 E.C.R. I-9115, para. 69, state that this concept includes designations of origin and geographical indications. The specific marks mentioned ibid would also be covered.Google Scholar
95 E.g. through facilitating genuinely GM-free produce.Google Scholar
96 However the issue must involve a genuine and serious threat to fundamental interests of the Member State. Case 30/77, Bouchereau 1977 E.C.R. 1999 para. 34–35.Google Scholar
97 Case C-244/06, Dynamic Medien Vertriebs GmbH v Avides Media AG, 2008 E.C.R. I-505, para. 44.Google Scholar
98 In Case C-165/08, Commission v Poland, Jul. 16, 2009, paras. 54–59, Poland attempted to argue ethics; however these were held to be too closely linked to environmental and health concerns. Further, the views of certain sections of the public were held not to suffice as indicative of ethics or public moral.Google Scholar
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112 Id. at paras. 19 and 21.Google Scholar
113 Id. at para 51.Google Scholar
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118 The Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement is a further option.Google Scholar
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