Paradoxical EU agricultural policies on genetically engineered crops

Abstract

European Union (EU) agricultural policy has been developed in the pursuit of laudable goals such as a competitive economy and regulatory harmony across the union. However, what has emerged is a fragmented, contradictory, and unworkable legislative framework that threatens economic disaster. In this review, we present case studies highlighting differences in the regulations applied to foods grown in EU countries and identical imported products, which show that the EU is undermining its own competitiveness in the agricultural sector, damaging both the EU and its humanitarian activities in the developing world. We recommend the adoption of rational, science-based principles for the harmonization of agricultural policies to prevent economic decline and lower standards of living across the continent.

Research at the University of Lleida is supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), Spain (BFU2007-61413; BIO2011- 23324; BIO02011-22525; PIM2010PKB-00746; AGL2011-23996); the European Union Framework 7 Program SmartCell Integrated Project 222716; the European Union Framework 7 European Research Council IDEAS Advanced Grant (to P.C.); Program-BIOFORCE; COST Action FA0804: Molecular farming: plants as a production platform for high value proteins; Centre CONSOLIDER on Agrigenomics funded by MICINN, Spain and RecerCaixa.