Import and processing of genetically modified cotton GHB614

COGEM has been asked to advice on an application concerning the import and processing for use in food and feed of the genetically modified cotton line GHB614. Cultivation is not part of this application.
The cotton line GHB614 was produced by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and contains the 2mepsps gene. As a result, this line is tolerant to glyphosate-containing herbicides.

In Europe, no wild relatives of cotton are present and modern cotton cultivars do not possess any of the attributes commonly associated with problematic weeds. There are no reasons to assume that the gene inserted will increase the potential of cotton to establish feral populations. Moreover, cotton cannot survive the climatological conditions in Northwest Europe. Without irrigation, cotton volunteers cannot survive and establish themselves in the wild. Therefore, COGEM is of the opinion that incidental spillage of seeds of this cotton line will not pose a risk to the environment in the Netherlands nor in Northwest Europe.
Furthermore, in the opinion of COGEM the molecular characterisation is complete and performed adequately.

In view of these considerations, COGEM concludes that the import and processing of cotton line GHB614 poses a negligible risk to the environment in the Netherlands.