Report shows close networking between experts and industry
Monday, 9 November 2015
The results from the EU research project GRACE are to be presented in Potsdam, Germany on 9 and 10 November. The GRACE team of experts conducted feeding trials with genetically engineered plants on rats and reviewed existing publications on risk research. Testbiotech analysis shows the biotech industry has seriously impacted the results of the research project. As a Testbiotech report published today also shows, the biotech industry has not only systematically influenced the GRACE research project, but four other similar EU research projects.
After conducting confidential talks, the US company, CIBUS, has reached an agreement with the German Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL), that its RTDS oilseed rape will not be subjected to regulation for genetically engineered plants. This can be concluded from exchange of emails made available to the Gen-ethical Network (GeN) in Germany. The email correspondence between the BVL and industry shows that there was an agreement from the very beginning to exclude any public participation.
The EU Commission has stated that they see no need for detailed risk assessment of genetically engineered soybeans that can contain a mixture of probably carcinogenic residues. Monsanto’s genetically engineered soybean MON 87708 × MON 89788 have been engineered to be resistant to a combination of the herbicides, glyphosate and dicamba. Residues from spraying with these herbicides are suspected of being carcinogenic.
The EU Commission is trying to conceal major flaws in the risk assessment carried out by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment”
5 October 2015 The EU Commission has informed Testbiotech that the public will still not be allowed to access documents on the risk assessment of the herbicide glyphosate. Testbiotech had requested access to the report prepared by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) on the risk assessment of glyphosate, which was sent to the European Safety Authority (EFSA) several months ago.
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