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Zagreb - The parliamentary Committee on agriculture on Friday unanimously upheld the government's opinion that Croatia should remain GMO free. Committee members, however, expressed reservations due to possible complaints that could occur subsequent to certain international agreements like the Transatlantic Trade Investment Partnership (TTIP).
- Croatia will certainly be GMO free and we will insist on that, the committee's chairman, Ivica Mandić, (Croatian People's Party - HNS) underscored, adding that it was necessary to establish cooperation with other European Union parliaments to jointly secure the best possible legal safeguards.
Deputy Agriculture Minister Snježana Španjol reiterated that Croatia had opted to be "GMO free." - We are seeking clear regulations and legal protection from the European Commission so that member states are not faced with complaints over international agreements and trade relations, Španjol said.
An external member of the committee, Mladen Jurišić, warned that in some scientific circles news was circulating that the largest global GMO seed producer Monsanto was already threatening with lawsuits. He added that even though he supported the government's attitude, he would opt for stricter monitoring.
Španjol said that GMO control was conducted at two levels - through seed control, where there is zero tolerance to GMO, and through fodder control, where maximum allowed concentrations of GMO are defined. (Hina)