After the current EU president state’s attempts to push for a reform on the bloc’s approval process for genetically modified organisms ended in stalemate in March, a renewed attempt to broach the reforms failed to make the agenda for an Environment Council meeting held on Monday in Luxembourg.

Proposals by Denmark to introduce compromise measures, which would have seen member states deciding whether or not to allow cultivation of GM crops on an individual basis, came to nothing when ten of the EU’s 27 member states rejected them. The bloc’s major agricultural producers including Germany, France and the UK chose not to support the plans, which were backed by the European Commission’s pro-GM Health and Consumer Policy administrator, John Dalli.

Many states opposed the Danish proposals due to the lack of legal certainty accorded to member states opting to ban GM crops. Others thought the proposals would breach EU internal market regulations.

Following the revelation that Denmark's plans failed to make the Environment Council's agenda this wek, Pete Riley, Campaign Director for anti-GM concern group GM Freeze, said, "This is a blow to the Commission, which has been trying to do this deal for years, and the Danes, who were keen to see their compromise position adopted. Despite heavy lobbying Member States are not convinced the draft proposals would work and provide counties who wish to ban a GM crop with a legally reliable means to do so."

The EU presidency will pass to Cyprus next month; Cyprus bans GM cultivation and refused to support Denmark’s overtures.

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