Ban on EU cloned meat sales, but imports allowed
The European Commission has proposed a five-year ban on animal cloning in food production, but given a green light to imports to the EU of food from cloned animals.
The move has sparked controversy and criticism from farming and animal welfare groups alike.
“We welcome the ban on European cloning and the commission’s concern about the welfare implications of cloning,” said Peter Stevenson, chief policy adviser at Compassion In World Farming.
“But we are very disappointed that imports of cloned semen, embryos and food products are being allowed. We don’t accept that it is impossible to trace the origins of cloned meat products.”
The ruling followed the discovery of meat products from cloned cattle in the UK in July.
Announcing the ban, EU health commissioner John Dalli said there was no evidence that meat and dairy products from cloned animals was unsafe.
But it was concerned about the animal welfare implications across Europe.
A commission report estimated that cloning has a success rate of less than 20% and many cloned animals die shortly after birth.
However, because the origins of imported cloned meat and dairy products could not be traced, he said an import ban would have to cover all relevant products coming from countries such as the USA where cloning is allowed.
“That is not something we are able to do – we’re not going to regulate the world,” he said.
The commission will allow the import of cloned semen and embryos and the offspring derived from this genetic material will be allowed to enter the food chain.
David Cotton chairman of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers said he was concerned about Brussel’s inability to trace cloned food products and called for greater clarity generally.
“I understand consumer misgivings about cloning, but equally believe confusion about which new technologies European farmers can use needs to be cleared up.”
(Pictured: France’s first cloned calf, Marguerite, at a Paris agricultural show in 1998)