Ousted: Britain’s EU adviser who backs GM farming
CAMPAIGNERS claimed a victory in their fight against genetically modified food last night after the EU scrapped the job of a controversial British scientist.
Professor Anne Glover, who served as chief scientific adviser to the EU from 2012, had argued that opposition to GM crops is ‘a form of madness’.
Groups worried about so-called ‘Frankenfoods’ wanted her position abolished, saying one adviser should not have so much influence on EU policy.
The EU Commission confirmed last night that her position was being abol-
‘A dangerous fallacy’
ished along with the Bureau of European Policy Advisers under which it fell.
The commission denied it had anything to do with her views on GM, but campaigners who had urged EU president Jean-Claude Juncker to scrap the role welcomed the decision.
A number of groups wrote to the commission this summer saying Professor Glover, a f ormer chief scientist f or Scotland, had presented ‘ one- sided, partial opinions in the debate on the use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture, repeatedly claiming that there was a scientific consensus about their safety’.
Last night Liz O’Neill, of GM Freeze, one groups that wrote to the commission, said: ‘A single scientific viewpoint is a dangerous fallacy, so I very much hope that we can now look forward to a more widely informed dialogue.’
Dr Helen Wallace, of GeneWatch UK, said: ‘A single scientific adviser cannot possibly represent all the evidence and opinions relevant to the science policy debate.
‘There is a danger that chief scientific advisers become mere lobbyists for science funding, often in partnership with industry, and downplay scientific uncertainties and risks.’
Doug Parr, chief scientist at Greenpeace UK, said: ‘Scientific advice is the cornerstone of sound policy making.
‘But the role of chief scientific adviser to the commission ended up hindering this process instead of helping it.’
While critics fear genetic modification of crops may pose ecological and health risks, farmers, scientists and multinational companies insist it is essential to boost agricultural productivity.
Last night supporters accused anti-GM groups of ‘shooting the messenger’. The National Farmers’ Union said abolishing Professor Glover’s role ‘appears to be a backward step for science’.
The European Commission said Mr Juncker believed in independent scientific advice but had not yet decided how to ‘institutionalise’ it.