On 1 July 2026, the European Parliament tabled a motion for a resolution objecting to the European Commission's draft implementing decision that would authorise the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of, or produced from genetically modified maize DP202216 x NK603 x DAS-40278-9 and its sub-combinations. The resolution, tabled by the Socialists and Democrats group and MEPs Biljana Borzan, Sirpa Pietikäinen, Martin Häusling, and Anja Hazekamp, argues that the Commission's draft decision is based on an incomplete risk assessment and fails to address concerns over herbicide tolerance and democratic legitimacy.
The motion follows a favourable opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 30 October 2025, published on 5 December 2025, which Parliament says omitted long-term toxicology studies, cumulative effects, and interactions with herbicide residues. The GM maize confers tolerance to glufosinate, glyphosate, and 2,4-D herbicides; notably, the EU approval for glufosinate expired on 31 July 2018. Parliament also notes that the sub-combinations DP202216 x NK603 and DP202216 x DAS-40278-9 were not previously assessed by EFSA, and no experimental data were submitted for them.
The resolution points to increased herbicide use, the development of herbicide-resistant weeds, and risks to biodiversity, soil, water, and human and animal health as reasons for rejecting the authorisation. It calls on the Commission to withdraw the draft decision and not authorise imports of herbicide-tolerant GM crops. Parliament further insists that the Commission should not authorise GMOs without a qualified majority of Member States in favour, referencing the no-opinion votes in the Standing Committee on 27 April 2026 and the Appeal Committee on 2 June 2026.
If adopted in plenary, the resolution would formally object to the Commission's draft decision, blocking the authorisation unless the Commission amends it or the Council overrules Parliament. The motion is currently under consideration by the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, with a plenary vote expected in the coming weeks. The outcome will affect EU food and feed importers, who would face continued restrictions on the GM maize, as well as EU livestock farmers reliant on imported feed, and consumers concerned about GMO labelling and herbicide residues.