Assessment of an EFSA opinion on the cultivation of Bt11 maize

The Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM) is asked by the Dutch Competent Authority to issue advice on an opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concerning the cultivation, feed and industrial processing of the genetically modified maize line Bt11. An assessment of Bt11 maize was requested by the European Commission because of questions raised by several Member States (including The Netherlands) following the evaluations at the national level. Bt11 maize contains genes (cry1Ab and pat) conferring resistance to certain Lepidopteran insects, and tolerance to herbicides containing the active ingredient glufosinate. In The Netherlands, no wild relatives of maize are present and establishment of maize plants in the wild has never been observed. There are no reasons to assume that the inserted traits will increase the potential of the maize line to run wild. The former objections of The Netherlands on the effects on non target organisms and the persistence in the soil of the Cry1Ab protein are sufficiently answered in the EFSA opinion Considering the above-mentioned, COGEM is of the opinion that the proposed cultivation, feed and industrial processing of the maize line Bt11 does not pose a significant risk for human health and the environment.