Council Minutes, 11 June 2012
The following is an extract from the minutes of the Environment Council meeting held on 11 June 2012:
The Council took note of the presidency's progress report (10883/1/12 REV 1 [see link below]) on a proposal for a regulation amending directive 2001/18/EC as regards the possibility for the member states to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their territory.
The aim of the proposal is to provide for a legal basis in the related EU legal framework in order to authorise member states to restrict or prohibit the cultivation, in all or part of their territory, of GMOs that have been authorised at EU level.
The Danish presidency submitted to the Council in March 2012 a compromise text. Although a large number of member states could accept the presidency proposal, it was not yet possible to reach agreement in the Council.
The report notes that since the March Environment Council meeting the presidency has held informal consultations with delegations in order to examine how a change in delegations' position could be achieved. Despite the fact that significant progress has been made, the presidency concludes that a political agreement on the GMO dossier is not possible.
A copy of the progress report is available on this site. See: Council Progress Report - GMOs