George Lee (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 22: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food his views on the EU Commissioner for Agricultural and Rural Development's statement that delays in approving new genetically modified crop varieties by European Union member states would cost farmers millions of euro in higher feed charges in winter 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43609/09]

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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I note Commissioner Fischer Boel's statement on the implementation by Member States of the process set out in EU legislation for the authorisation of GM ingredients, to be used in food and feed within the EU. The cultivation of genetically modified crops and their use in food and animal feed has been a source of serious debate throughout the EU for the past decade with significant divergence in opinions being expressed and this divergence is most notably reflected at the Council of Ministers.

Most of the recent problems being experienced by the animal feed industry have revolved around asynchronous authorisation of GM varieties between the feed exporting countries and the EU, and the detection of traces of two GM maize varieties, not yet authorised in the EU, in soya and maize feed imported shipments, resulting in their rejection. This has led to uncertainty in the trade of these products, which in turn were replaced by more expensive alternatives. I am pleased to note that the Commission has recently authorised one of these varieties and hopefully will authorise the other before year end.

I also wish to point out that I have informed Commissioner Vassiliou of DG Sanco that my officials will work closely with her officials to bring forward a proposal for the setting of a tolerance for the low level presence of, as yet, unauthorised GM events.