Regulation on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102, pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council

What changes

• The European Parliament calls on the Commission to repeal Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2627.
• The European Parliament calls on the Commission to submit a new draft decision to the committee.
• The European Parliament reiterates its call on the Commission not to authorize the placing on the market of any GM plants containing genes which confer antimicrobial resistance.

Expected impact

• The resolution considers that Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2627 exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003.
• The resolution considers that Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2627 is not consistent with Union law, specifically not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 to ensure a high level of protection for human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market.
• Authorizing GM plants containing genes conferring antimicrobial resistance would be in violation of Article 4(2) of Directive 2001/18/EC, which calls for a phase-out of antibiotic resistance marker genes (ARMGs) that may have adverse effects on human health or the environment.

Limitations

• The document is a resolution from the European Parliament and does not contain the full text of the Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2627 or the EFSA scientific opinion, limiting the ability to analyze the specific technical details of the authorization itself.
• The document does not provide detailed information on the specific uses of cottonseed oil and flour beyond general examples, which limits a comprehensive analysis of potential human exposure pathways.
• The document does not include the full list of Member States' critical comments submitted to EFSA, only summarizing the nature of these comments.
• The document does not detail the specific 'adverse effects' on non-target organisms or the 'out-of-range' species mentioned in the context of Bt toxins, beyond referencing peer-reviewed publications.
• The document does not provide the full text of the Commission's letter of September 11, 2020, regarding the need to take sustainability into account for GMO authorization decisions.