欧州からの情報である（「ホーティカルチャー・ウイーク」5月21日号）。サントリー（フロリジーン）の青いカーネーション（名前は明記されていないが、たぶん「ムーンダスト」）が欧州での輸入が可能になった。欧州委員会が２種類のGMO（遺伝子組み換え作物）の輸入を承認することになった。
やや微妙なのは、そもそもEU（EFSA：欧州食品安全機関）は、GMOに対しては肯定的ではない判断を下す傾向があることだ。農産物全般に関しては、大豆や小麦などの主要穀物では、EU（欧州委員会）自体が遺伝子仕組み作物（GMO）の栽培を禁じている。今回は、切り花（カーネーション）で非食品（飼料用穀物でもない）であることと、輸入品であることがポイントだったと考えられる。
しかし、サントリーの青いカーネーションは慎重に管理されているとはいえ、GMOであることにちがいはない。今後の動向に注目が集まる。米国では、生産性と耐病性のために、主要穀物はほぼGMOに変わりつつある。こうした動きは、日本の農業政策にも微妙に影響をすることになるかもしれない。
つぎに来るのは、青いばらなのだろうか？ それとも、、、、
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“GM cut flowers get the EU nod”
Additional GMOs receive full authorisation procedure from the European Food Safety Authority The European Commission has authorised the importation of two Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) cut flowers (not for food or feed).
There are also 10 new authorisations for GMOs for food/feed use and seven renewals of existing authorisations.
These GMOs had gone through a “full authorisation procedure, including a favourable scientific assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)”. The authorisation decisions do not cover cultivation.
Cut flower carnations line IFD-25958-3 and line IFD-26407-2 have been approved.
Suntory-owned Florigene wants to export carnations genetically modified for petal colour and herbicide tolerance.
Defra policy is to agree to planting of GM crops “if a robust risk assessment indicates that it is safe for people and the environment”. It advocates thorough labelling and “supports farmers having access to developments in new technology and being able to choose whether or not to adopt them”.
Defra added: “We recognise that GM technology could deliver benefits providing it is used safely and responsibly, in particular as one of a range of tools to address the longer term challenges of global food security, climate change, and the need for more sustainable agricultural production.
“Developing countries should have fair access to such technology and make their own informed decisions regarding its use.
“To encourage innovation, fair market access for safe products and economic growth, the government believes that regulation of this technology must be proportionate.”
Defra would not comment further because of the election.
Molly Scott Cato Green Party MEP:
“Giving the go-ahead to these GMOs is an affront to democracy as a majority of EU member states were not in favour of them.
We also know that EU citizens continue to say no to GMO.”
17:43 – Thu 21/05/2015 Bron: Horticulture Week
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ちなみには、文中のDefraとは、
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is the government department responsible for environmental protection, food production and standards, agriculture, fisheries and rural communities in the United Kingdom. Concordats set out agreed frameworks for co-operation between it and the Scottish Government,[2] Welsh Government[3] and Northern Ireland Executive,[4] which have devolved responsibilities for these matters in their respective nations. Defra also leads for Britain at the EU on agricultural, fisheries and environment matters and in other international negotiations on sustainable development and climate change, although a new Department of Energy and Climate Change was created on 3 October 2008 to take over the last responsibility.
