Dalli contests legal validity of one million-signature petition

European Health and Consumer Affairs Commissioner John Dalli yesterday found himself the centre of attraction and controversy over a citizens’ petition against genetically modified crop cultivation.

He had just finished inspecting a giant “3D farm” developed by world-famous pavement artist Kurt Wenner in front of the European Commission’s headquarters at the Berlymont when Greenpeace presented him with a petition signed by over one million EU citizens.

The petition asks for a stop to any authorisation of GM crop cultivation until an independent, ethical and scientific body is put in place by the Commission to research the impact of GM crops.

Greenpeace claims this is the first European citizens initiative (ECI) to be presented under the new Lisbon Treaty. It was signed by 1,030,308 citizens including 1,168 from Malta.

Mr Dalli’s reaction to the initiative immediately sparked controversy. While acknowledging the Commission would surely take note of a million signatures, he questioned the petition’s validity arguing the legal instrument putting the ECI in force was still outstanding due to differences between the EU’s authorising institutions.

“We will surely give this petition our due consideration as we do to all other petitions,” Mr Dalli told Greenpeace. But when pressed on whether this will be accepted as an ECI, he said: “The citizens’ initiative is not yet in force and so we cannot accept any initiative at this stage. It is up to the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission to reach a joint agreement on this regulation. Once this is in place and published than one has to go by the regulations.”

Greenpeace immediately countered saying the Commission could not try to ignore a million citizens under the pretence of bureaucracy. “We have legal advice that shows this first ECI is valid and exceeds many of the European citizens initiative procedures and conditions agreed upon by the Parliament, the Council and the Commission last week.”

The ECI is a new tool that allows EU citizens to formally request the Commission to initiate laws on the basis of a European petition signed by at least one million Europeans. The tool is sanctioned by the EU Lisbon Treaty, in force since last December. But despite almost a year since the treaty entered into force, the specific legislation on the rules governing it has not yet been agreed upon by the EP and the Commission and a final deal is expected later this month.

Greenpeace said the petition was raised following the controversial authorisation last March by Mr Dalli of the cultivation of the BASF antibiotic-resistant GM potato (Amflora), the first GM crop authorised in the EU in 12 years. According to Greenpeace, Mr Dalli’s decision disregarded EU legal requirements, the will of EU member states and public opinion and the advice of international medical institutions such as the World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency.

The petition also addresses another initiative taken by Mr Dalli last July aimed at giving member states the liberty to decide for themselves whether to allow the cultivation of GM crops in their territory. The majority of member states have opposed the Commission’s proposal.

“The Commission’s latest proposal does not address the core problems related to GMOs as it does not ensure that health and environment risks are properly addressed at EU level and that GM contamination is prevented,” the environment group’s spokesman said.