EU Mulls Biotech Cotton Decision

Avatar for Matt Hopkins By Scott C. Lucas|14 April 2008

In February, a panel of national EU experts was unable to reach a consensus under the EU’s weighted voting system either to approve or reject Bayer’s request for an import licence, which is normally valid for 10 years.

Under EU law, the European Commission has now escalated the dossier to ministers who have three months to debate whether to issue an import authorisation. If they fail to agree, then the Commission gains the right to rubberstamp an approval.