EU environment experts failed to agree on authorising imports of a genetically modified (GMO) maize hybrid on Monday, again exposing the bloc's deep-seated divisions over biotech foods, an official said on Monday.
Representatives of 12 member states voted against authorisation, seven were in favour, five abstained and one member state was absent from the vote, the official said. It was not immediately clear how each member states voted.
The requested use for the maize, engineered by US biotech giant Monsanto, was for use in industrial processing.
The experts' failure to reach a consensus opinion either to approve the maize or reject it means that the matter will now be passed to EU ministers for a decision.
If the ministers also fail to agree, after a period of three months, the European Commission gains the legal power to issue an approval - the method that has been used in the EU four times since May 2004 to approve new GMO products for import.
Producing hybrid maize involves making separate lines that are then crossed to make a hybrid seed, allowing for desirable traits to be selected to enhance agricultural performance.
The maize is a cross between two distinct maize types known as MON 863, which can provide plant protection against certain pests, specifically corn rootworm, and MON 810, which is resistant to other pests such as caterpillars and certain worms.
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