Canada-Europe trade deal | European Union has been slow in approving GM products in the past
The European Union has given Canada a written commitment to expedite the approval of genetically modified crops.
The promise is contained in the text of the recently concluded Canada-Europe Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
It states that both parties agree to promote efficient science-based approval processes for GM traits, with the key word being “efficient.”
“I think this is vitally important,” said Jim Everson, vice-president of government relations with the Canola Council of Canada.
The council was pleased tariffs on canola oil will be eliminated upon implementation of the agreement, which is expected in early 2016.
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However, equally important is what is being done to remove a significant non-tariff trade barrier, which is the lengthy and unpredictable approval process for GM traits.
“Unless there is serious commitment to addressing this issue around biotechnology approvals, then the agreement is not going to be that helpful,” said Everson.
It takes on average four years for a GM trait to receive import approval in Europe, which is roughly twice as long as other comparable jurisdictions, according to EuropaBio, which promotes biotechnology in Europe.
Everson said the cumbersome approval process delays Canadian growers’ access to new traits because the industry has to respect the import requirements of important trade partners such as the EU.
A biotechnology working group will be established under CETA to improve approval times and develop low level presence policies.
Monsanto Canada welcomed the development. In 2013, the company pulled all of its pending approval requests to grow GM crops in the EU.
“Possibly a new working group will help the existing process and provide the opportunity for future import approvals,” Monsanto spokesperson Trish Jordan said in an email.
Everson expects the working group will include officials from Agriculture Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and their European counterparts.
It will not tamper with the EU’s existing approval process.
“It doesn’t entail any change to the process or any reduction in the standards that get applied by the Europeans in the approval of GM traits,” he said.
The European Food Safety Authority will still complete environmental, human and animal health safety assessments, which is the science-based evaluation portion of the approval process.
The working group will focus on streamlining the political aspect of the approval process, which can take six months to years.
Commodity groups have pushed for years for similar changes but have little to show for it. Everson believes CETA brings a new level of commitment to the issue.
The National Farmers Union does not share his optimism.
“CETA changes nothing regarding Europe’s commitment to avoiding food made from genetically modified crops,” said Ann Slater, the NFU’s vice-president of policy.
“It’s fine to put something in a trade agreement and say we’ll talk about it,” said Slater.
“It’s still a whole other thing to have a population change their mind as to what they will purchase and eat.”
Slater said if anything, the trade agreement will bolster the resolve of Europe’s anti-GM forces.
