The EU Environment Ministers have held talks on the proposal that would enable member states to ban the cultivation of GMOs on their territories. Hungary was represented at the talks by Endre Kardeván.

The Ministry of Rural Development's Minister of State for Food Chain Supervision and Agricultural Administration declared: "It is time for an agreement to finally be reached on this issue". Mr. Kardeván took a firm stance with regard to the issue of banning the cultivation of genetically modified organisms. He called on the other member states to vote yes to the proposal to enable an agreement on the issue as soon as possible. The Minister of State drew attention to the fact that if no suitable measures are introduced, the current state of affairs, according to which GMOs are authorised despite their being rejected by an overwhelming majority of European citizens and member states, would become politically untenable. It is unacceptable that a GMO can be given the green light for cultivation within the EU when the decision clearly goes against the will of the majority of member states, he declared, stressing that the current EU authorisation system infringes on the sovereignty of countries and must be changed as soon as possible.

It has been obvious for years that the European Union's current system for permitting genetically modified organisms does not correctly mirror the will of the majority of European consumers or member states. This issue is particularly clear when it comes to the cultivation of GMOs.

In February, the Ministers of the member states voted on the authorisation of strain 1507 GM maize, again bringing the issue of EU GM authorisation into the spotlights. Hungary and several other member states requested that discussions on an earlier proposal that would allow member states to decide individually on permitting the cultivation of GM crops be reopened. The related bill was put forward by the European Commission in 2010, and although a definitive majority of member states supported the proposal, no agreement was reached on this issue that is such an important, strategic issue for Hungary because of a few member states who opposed the bill. The Greek Presidency eventually decided to put the proposal onto the agenda of Monday's meeting of the Environment Council.

Hungary will continue to do everything possible to enable Hungary to retain its GMO-free status and accordingly to facilitate the objective that is also declared in the country's Constitution.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)