Dec. 2 (Bloomberg)—European Union governments failed to agree on whether to authorize a Monsanto Co. genetically modified corn variety for use as animal feed, stalling the approvals process.

Ministers meeting in Brussels today voted 14 to eight to reject the crop, failing to gain a sufficient majority for a final decision, EU spokeswoman Barbara Helfferich told reporters. There were three abstentions. European environment chief Stavros Dimas, who backs the corn’s use, must now get the approval passed by his fellow European Commissioners, responsible for day-to-day running of the EU.

Monsanto’s hybrid MON863 x MON810, altered to provide resistance to corn pests, is the latest of a handful of modified plants to advance through the EU process since a six-year moratorium on the use of the technology ended last year.

The EU’s policy means new genetically altered products can take years to gain the necessary scientific and political backing. The U.S., Argentina and Canada have complained about the process to the World Trade Organization on the grounds that it inhibits trade. Less than 1 percent of world biotech crops are harvested in the EU’s 25 countries, compared with the two- thirds share held by the U.S.

Nine countries, including the U.S., Argentina and Canada, last year grew 11.2 million hectares (27.7 million acres) of modified corn of similar types to that blocked today by the EU, according to Merrickville, Canada-based Agbios, which collects information on biotechnology crops.

To contact the reporter on this story:
Duncan Hooper in Brussels at dhooper@bloomberg.net.

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