GMO Maize NK603: Safety Concerns Block New License

Summary of the European Parliament resolution on GM maize NK603 (16 Dec 2025)

• What is NK603?

  • A genetically modified maize that can survive the herbicide glyphosate.
  • First authorised in 2015 (Decision EU 2015/684) for food, feed and other uses, but not for cultivation.

• Renewal request

  • Bayer CropScience applied on 11 Mar 2024 to renew the authorisation.
  • The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) gave a favourable scientific opinion on 20 Jun 2025, saying the renewal does not add new hazards compared with the 2009 assessment.

• Key concerns raised by Parliament

  1. Missing long‑term data – EFSA’s review did not include long‑term toxicity studies or detailed analysis of combined effects with other pesticides.
  2. Herbicide treadmill – Herbicide‑tolerant crops lead farmers to use more herbicides, encouraging the growth of herbicide‑resistant weeds, which in turn requires even more herbicide use. This harms soil, water, biodiversity and can increase human and animal exposure to chemicals.
  3. Glyphosate safety – While EFSA (2015) and the European Chemicals Agency (2017) said glyphosate is unlikely to be carcinogenic, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (WHO) classified it as a probable human carcinogen in 2015, and recent studies support this risk.
  4. Gene flow – There is evidence that the GM gene can spread to wild relatives (e.g., teosinte) in Spain and France, raising environmental concerns.
  5. Insufficient monitoring – No reliable system guarantees that adverse effects on biodiversity, soil health, pollinators or non‑target organisms are tracked.
  6. Democratic deficit – The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed and the Appeal Committee gave no opinion on the renewal, yet the Commission still authorises the GM crop. Parliament says the Commission should not renew GMOs without a qualified majority in these committees.
  7. Trade and fairness – Allowing imports of GM maize that do not meet EU standards gives non‑EU farmers an unfair advantage and conflicts with EU commitments to reduce pesticide use (UN biodiversity framework aims for a 50 % reduction by 2030).

• Parliament’s demands

  1. Withdraw the draft Commission implementing decision.
  2. Do not renew the authorisation of NK603 until sufficient evidence on long‑term impacts on biodiversity, food safety, farmers’ livelihoods and animal health is available.
  3. Submit a new legislative proposal to reform the GMO decision‑making process, reflecting Parliament’s objections and the lack of qualified‑majority support.
  4. Ensure that any GM crop authorised for import must meet EU standards and not give an unfair advantage to non‑EU producers.

• Context

  • Parliament has adopted 36 resolutions in its eighth term, 38 in its ninth term, and several more in its tenth term, all objecting to GMO authorisations.
  • The resolution cites Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (GM food and feed) and the precautionary principle (Article 191 TFEU).

This resolution reflects Parliament’s stance that the renewal of GM maize NK603 should be halted until comprehensive, long‑term safety and environmental data are available, and that the decision‑making process for GMOs must be more democratic and transparent.