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 In comments at his confirmation hearing in the European Parliament
that will delight EU heavyweights France and Germany, Vytenis
Andriukaitis also said genetically modified crops posed a
"philosophical problem" that threatened Europe's biodiversity.
The United States, now in negotiations with the European Union on a
free trade pact that would create a joint market of 800 million
people, wants the 28-nation bloc to take a more science-based
approach to GM crops and hormone-treated meat.
"I cannot make any compromises on this issue, whether it is hormones
in meat or chlorine baths for poultry," Andriukaitis told EU
lawmakers in the hearing on his nomination to be head of health and
food safety policy in the next European Commission.
Asked repeatedly by EU lawmakers from across the political spectrum
where he stood on GM crops, which are widely grown in the Americas
and Asia, the Lithuanian nominee urged caution.
"Cultivation of GMOS is a huge problem from a philosophical point of
view," said Andriukaitis, a doctor by training. "If we want to
interfere with biodiversity, we have to be very vigilant and
cautious."
There is strong opposition in a number of EU member states,
including France and Germany, to GM foods, growth hormones in cattle
and to chicken that is disinfected with chemicals. Europe uses
antibiotics.
Andriukaitis' stance signals further tension in the talks to clinch
the free-trade pact, which proponents say must also break down farm
trade barriers to deliver the greatest benefits.
GM APPROVALS
An accord would allow the EU to sell more of its luxury cars, trains
and chemicals in the United States, a very attractive prospect for
an economy whose slow recovery from the euro zone debt crisis is
faltering.
Selling the benefits of a deal, which could generate $100 billion a
year in economic growth for both the EU and the United States, has
also been complicated by concerns about U.S. companies becoming too
powerful via the accord.
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The EU's designated trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom of Sweden,
told EU lawmakers on Monday that provisions for investor arbitration
- so called investor-state dispute settlement - could be dropped
from the free trade deal.
Andriukaitis also promised on Tuesday to review the EU's GM approval
process in the first six months of his mandate.
The European Union decided in May to make approval of GM crops
easier but to allow some countries to ban them.
In the case of GM crops, the EU has cleared for import some 50 of
about 450 commercial strains.
The EU imports about 30 million tonnes a year of GM grains for its
cattle, pigs and poultry, but EU retailers hardly stock any GM food
because of stiff consumer resistance.
The United States says it is unacceptable that GM strains take years
to gain access to European markets after winning clearance from the
European Food Safety Authority, compared to about 18 months in the
United States.
(Editing by Gareth Jones)
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