EU lifts restrictions on US rice imports as GMO contained

The European Union has lifted restrictions on imports of rice from the United States that were imposed in 2006 after shipments were found to contain genetically modified rice not approved in the bloc, an EU official said on Monday.

U.S. rice imports to the EU have been at a virtual standstill since 2006 because the restrictions meant rice could be approved for sale only if accompanied by test documents proving they were free of GM rice LL 601, produced by Germanys Bayer CropScience.

"The proposal to lift the measure followed testing by the U.S. Rice Federation for the 2009 crop of harvested rice, which did not detect lots containing LL Rice 601," a spokesman for EU Health Commissioner John Dalli said in a statement.

The EU has also received assurances that U.S. exporters will continue to apply a strict testing plan to rice exported to Europe, the spokesman said.
The same committee of EU member state officials that agreed to lift the rice import restrictions failed to reach a decision on Monday on proposals to authorise imports to the EU of three GM maize varieties for use as food and feed.

The proposals covered new authorisations for two insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant maize varieties, MON89034xNK603 and Bt11xGA21, developed by Monsanto and Syngenta respectively.

A third decision covered the renewal of an existing authorisation for the insect-resistant Bt11 maize, also developed by Syngenta.

As the committee failed to reach a majority decision for or against the proposals, they will now be sent to EU ministers for approval.