On Friday, the EU Commission approved three types of genetically modified soybean for import into the EU.

The Commission approved Monsanto’s Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans (MON 87708 x MON 89788 and MON 87705 x MON 89788) and Bayer Crop Science’s FG 72 soybean for import for use in food and feed for ten years. The approval covers import of the crops only, and not cultivation.

The Commission granted approval after member states failed to reach an agreement on the issue. A statement from the Commission assured that "Any products produced from these GMOs will be subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules.”

The approval follows the Commission’s decision to renew the European license for glyphosate at the end of June, after repeated Council votes were called off and an eleventh hour meeting between member state officials on a temporary 18 month renewal of the herbicide ended in deadlock.

Concerns over glyphosate’s classification as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organisation’s cancer research arm IARC mean the Commission’s renewal of the herbicide and approval of GM crops designed to withstand applications of glyphosate - even if the crops themselves are grown outside the bloc - have been met with anger by public health and environment campaigners.

On Friday, Liz O'Neill, Director of GM Freeze, said, “We hear constantly about the hypothetical potential of new GM techniques but this is the real face of GM 2.0 – more monocultures, sprayed with more herbicides. The recent US National Academies of Science report on GM highlighted the ‘major agricultural problems’ caused by GM herbicide tolerant crops and EU approval for three more will only make those problems worse.

“European nations refused to approve these three crops and EU consumers have been voting with their wallets for years. Sales of GM foods are minimal across Europe because they have to be declared on the label. However, that’s not the case with meat, eggs and dairy products from animals fed on GM. Today’s move will bring yet more GM into the UK and the rest of Europe and consumers will find it very difficult to avoid buying GM-fed. This is a big step backwards for anyone who wants their food to be produced responsibly, fairly and sustainably.

In February, Chinese authorities granted approval for the Monsanto soybeans.

The seeds are engineered to tolerate applications of both glyphosate and organochloride herbicide dicamba. In the US, where most GM crops are grown, there are currently no  dicamba formulations registered for in-crop use in Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Soybeans.