On 17 May 2023, according to the Official Journal of the European Union, the European Parliament issued a resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified soybean A5547-127. 

The resolution considers that continued imports of agricultural products such as GM soya are contrary to the EU's obligations under international agreements such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) and inconsistent with the requirement in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 that GM foods must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment.

The European Parliament proposed:

(1) Calls upon the Commission to withdraw the original draft and submit a new draft to the Council, arguing that the Commission does not need to amend the law to approve the import of genetically modified crops;

(2) Again urges the Commission to take into account the EU's obligations under international agreements such as the Paris climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and again calls for draft implementation bills to be accompanied by explanatory memoranda explaining how they uphold the principle of "do no harm";

(3) Call upon the Commission not to authorize the import of herbicide-tolerant GM crops in order to reduce the associated risks to biodiversity, food safety and worker health;

(4) Expects the Commission to formulate as soon as possible a proposal on "ensuring that hazardous chemicals banned in the EU are not exported";

(5) Calls upon the Commission to immediately suspend imports of genetically modified soya grown in Brazil and Argentina;

(6) Stress that, under Amendment to Regulation (EU) No 182/2011, the Commission may not authorise the import of genetically modified organisms without a specified majority of Member States in favour.

Learn more: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=uriserv%3AOJ.C_.2023.177.01.0002.01.ENG&toc=OJ%3AC%3A2023%3A177%3ATOC