GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

That this House is concerned that the European Commission has so far not implemented measures called for by the EU Council in 2008 to improve genetically modified organisms (GMO) risk assessments, prevent contamination of seeds and crops and to make the body authorised to release or market a GMO liable for any harm arising from it; notes that the recent Commission proposals give Member States the right to ban genetically modified (GM) crop cultivation at a national level while keeping the current authorisation system for GM at EU level; is dismayed that the Government is not pushing for its own clear GM labelling regime; and calls on the Government to clarify with the Commission whether the UK will be legally permitted to declare itself GMO-free under the new proposals and whether Member States will be able to reject a GM crop that is authorised at the EU level with legal certainty.