The EU Parliament Environment Committee backed draft plans that would allow member states to make decisions on genetically modified (GM) crops on an individual basis.

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This first step towards ending deadlocked GM crop rulings was welcomed by environment groups, who had expressed concern that earlier drafts provided little legal protection for member states wishing to remain free from GM organisms. Eight out of the 28 member states have currently banned cultivation of GM crops on their territories, though the legality of these moratoriums has been challenged by biotech companies and central EU powers.

Under the new plans, once a GM crop variety is passed as safe by the Commission's scientific advisors, member state governments would be allowed to cultivate, restrict or ban the crops as they see fit. Though the MEPs on the Environment Committee supported the measures, they voted to remove the Council-backed idea of a phase of negotiations with the GM manufacturer, and supported plans to allow member states to ban GMO crops on environmental grounds.

The plans were drawn up in June, along the lines of earlier compromise measures that were rejected under the Danish presidency of the EU in 2012.

Belgian Liberal and Democratic Alliance MEP Frédérique Ries, who is steering the legislation through parliament, said on Tuesday, "This vote shows we have secured a broad consensus between the political groups in the European Parliament on this sensitive issue.

"The measures approved today will secure flexibility for member states to restrict [or] ban the cultivation of GMO crops if they so wish. At the same time, we have secured a clear process for the authorization of GMOs at EU level, with improved safeguards and a key role for the European Food Safety Authority, which is important for us."

MEPs on the Committee also highlighted the importance of implementing 'buffer zones' to prevent contamination of non-GM crops, habitats or products across national borders or in designated areas where the crops are banned.

Environmentalists including Greenpeace welcomed Parliament's amendments to the law, which the green group's EU agriculture spokesperson Marco Contiero said, "Would give European countries a legally solid right to ban GM cultivation in their territory, making it difficult for the biotech industry to challenge such bans in court."

Contiero continued, "Thumbs up to the new Parliament for wanting to secure a GM-free agriculture and environment for Europeans. Parliamentarians have radically improved the text adopted by the Council, which was heavily influenced by the UK government pro-GM stance."

The EU Parliament, Commission and member state governments will now start negotiations, aiming to finalise this new law in the coming weeks.

Risk assessments and restrictions: How do member states opt out of growing GM?

Under the compromise measures, Member States could ban or restrict the cultivation of GM crops from certain areas, citing conflicts with environment policy, town and country planning, land use, agricultural policy, public policy, or possible socio-economic impacts.

Further possible grounds could include preventing contamination of other products or areas with GM material, persistent scientific uncertainty, the development of pesticide resistance amongst weeds and pests, invasiveness, the persistence of a GMO variety in the environment or a lack of data on the potential negative impacts of a variety.

The European Parliament's news service produced this video on Tuesday: