In December 2010 the Committee adopted an opinion on the cultivation of GMO's in the EU, CESE 1623/2010 (NAT/480). The opinion was of a predominantly legal character. Nevertheless, it concerns an issue which is extremely complex in nature, and on which many different opinions exist between Member States. A long series of amendments were tabled on the draft opinion both in the Section and the Plenary. Furthermore, given the fact that the file is currently at the centre of discussion between EU institutions and that a total review of the EU legislative framework for GMO's is foreseen in 2012, the Committee may have to take a position again next year.
Therefore, the requesting body is of the opinion that the issue of GMO's merits a supplementary opinion to explore the state of affairs in biotechnology and shed some light on the more technical questions of its application.
