On 8 July 2026, the European Parliament adopted a resolution objecting to Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2026/1419 of 29 June 2026, which renewed the authorisation for placing on the EU market products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified soybean MON 87705. The resolution, adopted by the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, argues that the Commission exceeded its implementing powers under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 and that the decision is incompatible with EU law, particularly the aim of ensuring a high level of protection for human and animal health, the environment, and consumer interests.
The Parliament calls on the Commission to repeal the decision and not to authorise the import of herbicide-tolerant GM crops due to the associated increased use of complementary herbicides and risks to biodiversity, food safety, and workers' health. It urges the Commission to take into account EU obligations under international agreements such as the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, and to uphold the 'do no harm' principle. The resolution reiterates that the Commission should not authorise GMOs where no qualified majority is reached by Member States in the relevant committees, and calls on the Council to adopt a general approach on amending Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 as a matter of urgency.
The resolution highlights a persistent democratic deficit in EU GMO decision-making, where the Commission authorises GMOs despite lacking qualified majority support from Member States and despite repeated objections by the Parliament. It underscores concerns about increased herbicide use, particularly glyphosate, linked to herbicide-tolerant GM crops, the 'herbicide treadmill' phenomenon, risks to biodiversity, soil health, water quality, and human and animal health, as well as insufficient long-term toxicological and cumulative effects assessments by the European Food Safety Authority. The resolution also points to inconsistencies with EU international commitments on pesticide reduction and the competitive disadvantage for EU farmers who cannot cultivate such GM crops.
The resolution reinforces the Parliament's demand for greater democratic accountability in the comitology process and calls for a fundamental reassessment of the Commission's approach to GMO market access. The Commission is now expected to respond to the Parliament's objections, though the resolution itself does not have binding legal force; it serves as a political signal ahead of potential legal challenges or further legislative action.