As the rapporteur of the Socialists & Democrats group in the European Parliament on food safety, Borzan said in a press release that in the first 100 days of its term in office, the European Commission would present a new vision of the future of the agriculture and food industry in the European Union.

She added that new rules for the use of GMO techniques in agriculture were currently being considered, which could bring changes to the way food is grown in Croatia as well. She believes that “any move towards relaxing the existing GMO food legislation in favour of the industry can easily endanger the health and well-being of citizens, without any real need or benefit.”

“People have the right to know what they eat and that the food they consume is safe,” Borzan stressed.

Although GMO food could perhaps play a certain role in combating hunger in certain parts of the world, Borzan noted that “Europe is in a different situation because it has a developed agriculture and food industry and laws that protect food safety and citizens’ health.”

“The health and safety of our citizens must come first! If we allow industry interests to prevail over health and safety issues, we risk citizens’ long-term trust in the food system,” the member of the European Parliament warned.

She recalled that Croatia “has a long tradition of natural food cultivation and high-quality indigenous products, and the introduction of GMO could threaten the competitiveness of domestic farmers and the food industry, while mostly benefiting large corporations that control the GMO market.” She added that “with the current, more right-wing composition of the European institutions, more and more space is opening up for the relaxation of GMO food legislation.”

“We have to be very careful and protect farmers and citizens from excessive industry pressure. When it comes to GMO food, Croatia must remain one of the leading countries with the highest quality and healthiest food,” Borzan concluded.