Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to outline the position on the authorisation by the European Commission on 31 August 2005 of Monsanto GT73 genetically modified oilseed rape. The House is already aware from replies to recent parliamentary questions that Ireland was among a number of member states that abstained in the vote at the Environment Council on 20 December 2004 on the Commission's proposal to authorise the product for use throughout the European Community as animal feed and for industrial processing. It is important to stress that the proposal did not include any provision for cultivation of the variety from seed.

Ireland's abstention at Council had regard to the long-standing positive but precautionary approach to modern biotechnology endorsed by successive Governments, the favourable opinion on the product from the Environmental Protection Agency as the competent Irish authority for the purposes of the directive following the agency's consultations with other relevant State agencies, and consideration of the product within my Department. It also took account of the views of the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government and the outcome of the earlier discussion of and vote on the product at the June 2004 meeting of the regulatory committee for the purposes of the directive.

Many misleading comments have been made about Ireland's abstention at Council. Among them is a suggestion — not made today — that had Ireland voted against the proposal, the Commission would not have been able to approve the product. This is simply not the case. To achieve a decision under qualified majority voting, 232 votes must be cast either in favour or against a proposal. In this case, 78 votes were in favour, 135 votes were against, and 108 abstentions were recorded. Therefore, Ireland's seven votes could not have tipped the scales either for or against the product. A qualified majority against the proposal could only have been achieved had other abstaining countries, namely, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK switched from abstention to negativity.

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