LMP: Hungary GMO-free status at risk

The proposal backed by chemical industry lobbyists failed in a first round of voting on Monday, Erzsebet Schmuck told an online press briefing. “But that lobby is aggressively pushing its agenda and wants to have another round of voting held on the exemption before Christmas, and it has found several politicians as allies in those efforts,” she said.

If passed with a qualified majority, the legislation would scrap the labelling requirement of products, Schmuck said. As a result, farmers, traders and consumers would no longer be able to choose GMO-free products, she said. “Control over seed production would also end up in the hands of agribusiness players, which would seriously jeopardise the autonomy of farmers and agricultural biodiversity,” Schmuck said.

She called on all Hungarian MEPs and decision-makers to stand up for maintaining a strict and comprehensive GMO regulation, regardless of their party affiliation.