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EU Member States’ Voting for Authorizing Genetically Engineered Crops: a Regulatory Gridlock

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  • Smart, Richard D.
  • Blum, Matthias
  • Wesseler, Justus

Abstract

Several authors suggest a gridlock of the European Union’s (EU’s) approval process for genetically engineered (GE) crops. We analyse the voting behaviour of EU Member States (MSs) for voting results from 2003 to 2015 on the approval of GE crops to test for a gridlock; no reliable data are available pre-2003 - a time which included the EU’s moratorium on GE crops. After the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given a favourable opinion on the safety of a GE crop, the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) votes on the application. If the SCFCAH reaches no decision, the Appeal Committee (AC) (pre the Treaty of Lisbon: the Council) votes on the application; if no decision is reached here, the final decision is left to the European Commission. All EU Member States (MSs) are represented on both committees; decisions are made by a qualified majority (QM) voting system, the rules of which have changed over time. Our data include 50 events; and 61 ballots at the SCFCAH and 57 ballots at the Council / AC. A QM has been achieved once only at the SCFCAH, but never at Council. At Council / AC level, Austria and Croatia have consistently voted against an approval, while The Netherlands has always supported approvals. All other MSs showed differences in their voting decisions at the SCFCAH and Council / AC level at least once. MS-fixed-effects are the major factors explaining the voting results supporting the gridlock hypothesis, while crop characteristics and crop use play no apparent role in MSs' voting behaviour. We maintain that a QM is unlikely following the latest directive for MSs to ‘opt-out’ on GE crop cultivation in their territories. Einige wissenschaftliche Autoren berichten, dass das Genehmigungsverfahren für genetisch veränderte Anbaukulturen in der Europäischen Union ins Stocken geraten sei. Wir untersuchen das Abstimmungsverhalten und die Abstimmungsergebnisse von EU-Mitgliedsstaaten im Rahmen dieser Genehmigungsverfahren im Zeitraum 2003 bis 2015, um diesen „Stau“ zu erforschen; für den Zeitraum vor 2003 liegen u.a. aufgrund des EU-Moratoriums keine verlässlichen Daten vor. Nachdem die Europäische Behörde für Lebensmittelsicherheit (EFSA) neue Anbaukulturen für sicher befunden hat, stimmen Mitglieder des Ständigen Ausschusses für die Lebensmittelkette und die Tiergesundheit (SCFCAH) über deren Zulassung ab. Sollte in diesem Ausschuss keine Entscheidung hinsichtlich einer Deregulierung getroffen werden, so stimmt der Berufungsausschuss (Appeal Committee bzw. The Council) über die Regulierung ab; sollte auch hier keine Entscheidung gefällt werden, liegt die endgültige Entscheidung bei der Europäischen Kommission. In beiden Ausschüssen sind alle EU-Mitgliedsstaaten vertreten; Entscheidungen sind einer qualifizierten Mehrheit unterworfen, wobei die entsprechenden Regeln im Zeitverlauf geändert wurden. Unser Datensatz erstreckt sich auf 50 Anbaukulturen, über die in 61 Abstimmungen durch SCFCAH und in 57 Abstimmungen durch den Berufungsausschuss befunden wurde. Unsere Analyse zeigt, dass eine qualifizierte Mehrheit lediglich in einem einzigen Fall in einer SCFCAH-Abstimmung, aber nie im Berufungsausschuss erreicht wurde. Bei Abstimmungen im Berufungsausschuss stimmten Österreich und Kroatien durchweg gegen eine Deregulierung, während die Niederlande alle Anträge unterstützten. Alle anderen Mitgliedsstaaten wiesen nicht immer ein konsistentes Abstimmungsverhalten in SCFCAH und dem Berufungsausschuss auf. Die Resultate unserer empirischen Analyse legen nahe, dass Ländereffekte den größten Erklärungsanteil für den genannten „Stau“ ausmachen; Eigenschaften einer Anbaukultur und deren Verwendungszweck scheinen lediglich eine untergeordnete Rolle für die Entscheidungen der Mitgliedsstaaten zu spielen. Eine qualifizierte Mehrheit erscheint unwahrscheinlich angesichts der jüngsten Direktive, die Mitgliedsstaaten erlaubt, auf ihrem jeweiligen Staatsgebiet den Anbau von genetisch veränderten Anbaukulturen zu untersagen.

Suggested Citation

  • Smart, Richard D. & Blum, Matthias & Wesseler, Justus, 2015. "EU Member States’ Voting for Authorizing Genetically Engineered Crops: a Regulatory Gridlock," German Journal of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Department for Agricultural Economics, vol. 64(04), December.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:gjagec:270183
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.270183
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    5. Wesseler, Justus & Zilberman, David, 2014. "The economic power of the Golden Rice opposition," Environment and Development Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 19(6), pages 724-742, December.
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    1. Steven Haggblade & Bart Minten & Carl Pray & Thomas Reardon & David Zilberman, 2017. "The Herbicide Revolution in Developing Countries: Patterns, Causes, and Implications," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(3), pages 533-559, July.
    2. Richard D. Smart & Matthias Blum & Justus Wesseler, 2017. "Trends in Approval Times for Genetically Engineered Crops in the United States and the European Union," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 182-198, February.
    3. Alessandro Bonanno & Valentina C. Materia & Thomas Venus & Justus Wesseler, 2017. "The Plant Protection Products (PPP) Sector in the European Union: A Special View on Herbicides," The European Journal of Development Research, Palgrave Macmillan;European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), vol. 29(3), pages 575-595, July.
    4. Richard Danvers Smart & Matthias Blum & Justus Wesseler, 2016. "Trends in Genetically Engineered Crops' Approval Times in the United States and the European Union," Economics Working Papers 16-03, Queen's Management School, Queen's University Belfast.
    5. Paulo Ricardo S. Oliveira & Jose Maria F. J. da Silveira & David S. Bullock, 2020. "Innovation in GMOs, technological gap, demand lag, and trade," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(1), pages 37-58, January.
    6. Wenjing Zhang & Jianhong Xue & Henk Folmer & Khadim Hussain, 2019. "Perceived Risk of Genetically Modified Foods Among Residents in Xi’an, China: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(4), pages 1-12, February.
    7. Wesseler, Justus & Banse, Martin & Zilberman, David, 2015. "Introduction Special Issue “The Political Economy of the Bioeconomy”," German Journal of Agricultural Economics, Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, Department for Agricultural Economics, vol. 64(04), December.
    8. Castellari, Elena & Soregaroli, Claudio & Venus, Thomas J. & Wesseler, Justus, 2018. "Food processor and retailer non-GMO standards in the US and EU and the driving role of regulations," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 26-37.
    9. Maximilian Kardung & Kutay Cingiz & Ortwin Costenoble & Roel Delahaye & Wim Heijman & Marko Lovrić & Myrna van Leeuwen & Robert M’Barek & Hans van Meijl & Stephan Piotrowski & Tévécia Ronzon & Johanne, 2021. "Development of the Circular Bioeconomy: Drivers and Indicators," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-24, January.
    10. Justus Wesseler & Gijs Kleter & Marthe Meulenbroek & Kai P. Purnhagen, 2023. "EU regulation of genetically modified microorganisms in light of new policy developments: Possible implications for EU bioeconomy investments," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 45(2), pages 839-859, June.
    11. Kai Purnhagen & Justus Wesseler, 2021. "EU Regulation of New Plant Breeding Technologies and Their Possible Economic Implications for the EU and Beyond," Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 43(4), pages 1621-1637, December.

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