Hungary and Austria Team Up to Regulate Ban on GMOs with Fierce Resolve

In the US we are still swimming from the FDA’s approval of GM salmon, while across the world, member states of the EU, Hungary, and Austria team up to make sure genetically modified food isn’t getting into their countries.

Hungary Today reports:

“European People’s Party MEPs György Hölvényi of Hungary and Elisabeth Köstinger of Austria organised a conference in Brussels on the importance of regulating genetically modified organisms in the European Union. Hölvényi told European Commission representatives that EU citizens have doubts about the bloc’s regulation of genetically modified crops, which he said EU decision-makers had a responsibility to dispel.”

Two thirds of member states have already banned the production of GM foods, but Hungary and Austria’s members of parliament (MPs) are looking for more strict regulations of GM labeling. Imported food and feed could contaminate a country which has essentially been declared GMO free, and the MPs want to be certain there is no contamination.

Just last month, Hungary submitted a petition to have 8 GM crops maize varieties banned that had been given production licenses. Austrian MPs have recently made similar strides.

The government will also ask for exemptions from the EC in the future if other GMO producers ask for European distribution rights.

The struggle for GM bans in the EU has been an issue since 2010. Originally, only Austria and the Netherlands wanted to have the option of opting out of GMO products. Now more than 19 countries are giving GMOs the boot.