EU OKs gene-altered maize

BRUSSELS, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- The European Commission has authorized the import and marketing of genetically modified maize used in animal feed.

Despite opposition from 14 member states, the commission Monday granted the producer Monsanto authorization to market the MON 863 maize within the EU during the next ten years. Permission was given after the European Food Safety Agency estimated there were no environmental or health risks related to releasing it onto the European market.

However, the crop, which has been modified to resist corn rootworm, cannot be sold as human food or for cultivation and it will be subject to strict labeling and traceability rules, the commission said.

The Green Party of the European Parliament -- a long-time opponent of genetically modified organisms -- Tuesday accused the commission for having sneaked the approval through the system in the middle of the holiday season in Brussels. MON 863 is the second GMO product to be approved by the EU, which has one of the world's strictest regimes for gene-altered crops.