EU Parliament Objects to GM Cotton MON 88913 Renewal
Summary
The European Parliament adopted a resolution on 25 November 2025 formally objecting to the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the market authorisation for genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (MON-88913-8) under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003. Both the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (15 September 2025) and the Appeal Committee (21 October 2025) failed to deliver an opinion, triggering Parliament's scrutiny rights. The resolution raises concerns about EFSA's reliance on its 2013 risk assessment without new long-term feeding studies and without addressing cumulative, combinatorial, or indirect effects of glyphosate-tolerant GM cotton on human and animal health and the environment.
Agri-food and feed operators who import or process GM cotton products from the US should monitor the Commission's response to this objection. The authorisation renewal (originally authorised by Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/688) remains in limbo until the Commission resolves Parliament's blocking position — companies with existing stocks or forward purchase contracts may face supply uncertainty if the renewal is delayed or withdrawn.
About this source
EUR-Lex is the EU's official legal database. The Official Journal series C carries information and notices that do not constitute binding law: Court of Justice case summaries, state aid notifications, public-sector tender announcements, sanctions implementation notices, EU institution operational news, and consultation calls. Around 165 entries a month. While series L holds the binding rules, series C is where the EU signals what is coming next: which sanctions are about to land, which cases are pending at the CJEU, which programs are tendering for support. Watch this if you advise on EU policy, monitor sanctions implementation, or compete for EU public-sector work. Recent: Russia sanctions notifications, EFTA state aid recovery interest rates, a Norwegian air services PSO tender.
What changed
The European Parliament exercised its authority under Article 11(3) and Article 23(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 to formally object to the renewal of the market authorisation for GM cotton MON 88913. The objection was triggered when both the Standing Committee (15 September 2025) and the Appeal Committee (21 October 2025) failed to deliver an opinion, allowing Parliament to scrutinise the draft Commission implementing decision. The resolution cites concerns that EFSA's favourable opinion of 26 March 2025 relied on the original 2013 risk assessment without requiring new long-term feeding studies or cumulative effect assessments, and raises environmental and health concerns related to the herbicide glyphosate to which the cotton is tolerant.
For Bayer Agriculture B.V. and Bayer CropScience LP, the renewal of the MON 88913 authorisation is now blocked pending the Commission's response to Parliament's objection. The Commission must either amend the draft implementing decision to address Parliament's concerns or formally justify maintaining it. This resolution reflects Parliament's ongoing pattern of objections to GMO authorisations and signals continued political resistance to renewing genetically modified crop approvals in the EU.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
An official website of the European Union How do you know?
1. EUROPA
2. EUR-Lex home
3. EUR-Lex - 52025IP0289 - EN
- Help
- Share Menu Search tips Need more search options? Use the Advanced search Document 52025IP0289
P10_TA(2025)0289 – Genetically modified cotton MON 88913 – European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (MON-88913-8), pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D109631/01 – 2025/2894(RSP))
OJ C, C/2026/1704, 24.4.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/1704/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/1704/oj
Expand all Collapse all Languages, formats and authentic version
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
PDF - authentic OJ
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- e-signature
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
How to verify the authenticity of the Official Journal Multilingual display
Display Text
| | Official Journal
of the European Union | EN
C series |
| | C/2026/1704 | 24.4.2026 |
P10_TA(2025)0289
Genetically modified cotton MON 88913
European Parliament resolution of 25 November 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (MON-88913-8), pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D109631/01 – 2025/2894(RSP))
(C/2026/1704)
The European Parliament,
| — | having regard to the draft Commission implementing decision renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (MON-88913-8) pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D109631/01), |
| — | having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed (1), and in particular Article 11(3) and Article 23(3) thereof, |
| — | having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 15 September 2025, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 21 October 2025, at which again no opinion was delivered, |
| — | having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers (2), |
| — | having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 26 March 2025, and published on 13 May 2025 (3), |
| — | having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’) (4), |
| — | having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure, |
| — | having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety, |
| A. | whereas Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/688 of 24 April 2015 (5) authorised the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (the ‘GM cotton’); |
| B. | whereas on 28 February 2024, Bayer Agriculture B.V., based in Belgium, on behalf of Bayer CropScience LP, based in the United States, submitted an application to the Commission, in accordance with Articles 11 and 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, for the renewal of that authorisation; whereas the scope of that authorisation also covers the placing on the market of products, other than food and feed, containing or consisting of the GM cotton for the same uses as any other cotton, with the exception of cultivation; |
| C. | whereas EFSA issued a favourable opinion on 26 March 2025, concluding that the renewal application did not contain evidence of new hazards, modified exposure or scientific uncertainties that would change the conclusions of its original risk assessment issued in 2013; |
| D. | whereas EFSA’s assessment did not include new long-term feeding studies or address cumulative, combinatorial or indirect effects on human health, animal health and the environment; |
| E. | whereas the GM cotton is herbicide-tolerant to glyphosate; whereas glyphosate is associated with potential endocrine-disrupting effects and other environmental and health concerns, while also contributing to biodiversity loss through herbicide-intensive agricultural practices; |
| F. | whereas questions concerning the carcinogenicity of glyphosate remain; whereas EFSA concluded in November 2015 that glyphosate was unlikely to be carcinogenic and the European Chemicals Agency concluded in March 2017 that no classification was warranted; whereas, on the contrary, in 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the specialised cancer agency of the World Health Organization, classified glyphosate as a probable carcinogen for humans; whereas a number of recent peer-reviewed scientific studies confirm the carcinogenic potential of glyphosate (6); |
| G. | whereas cotton production, including GM herbicide-tolerant varieties, is associated with high pesticide use, negative impacts on soil and water quality, and socio-economic consequences for farming communities; |
| H. | whereas independent monitoring and surveillance remain insufficient, particularly regarding long-term environmental effects on pollinators, soil organisms and non-target species; |
| I. | whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 requires that GM food and feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment; |
| J. | whereas the One Health approach requires a comprehensive assessment of interlinkages between human, animal, plant and environmental health, which is not reflected in the Commission draft implementing decision; |
| K. | whereas Parliament has repeatedly objected to the authorisation or renewal of GMOs in cases where no qualified majority is reached by Member States in the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed or the Appeal Committee, underlining the persistent democratic deficit in the authorisation procedure; |
| 1. | Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003; |
| 2. | Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law, in that it is incompatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council (7), to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market and in line with the precautionary principle; |
| 3. | Calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision; |
| 4. | Calls on the Commission not to renew the authorisation of the GM cotton due to concerns linked to herbicide use, biodiversity impacts and insufficient evidence on long-term safety, in line with the One Health approach; |
| 5. | Calls on the Commission to submit, without delay, a legislative proposal to reform the decision-making procedure on GMOs in order to respond to the consistent objections of Parliament and the lack of qualified majority support among Member States; |
| 6. | Urges the Commission to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the United Nations (UN) Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals; |
| 7. | Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States. |
(1) OJ L 268, 18.10.2003, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2003/1829/oj.
(2) OJ L 55, 28.2.2011, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2011/182/oj.
(3) Scientific opinion of the EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms on the ‘Assessment of genetically modified cotton MON 88913 (application GMFF-2023-21234)’. EFSA Journal 2025;23(5):9377; https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9377.
(4) In its eighth term, Parliament adopted 36 resolutions and, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 resolutions objecting to the authorisation of GMOs. Furthermore, in its tenth term, Parliament has adopted the following resolutions:
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2628 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize MON 89034 × 1507 × NK603 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1797, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1797/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2627 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified cotton COT102 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1798, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1798/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2629 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize MON 89034 × 1507 × MON 88017 × 59122 and eight of its sub-combinations pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1799, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1799/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1828 renewing the authorisation for the placing on the market of feed containing, consisting of and of food and feed products produced from genetically modified maize MON 810 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1207 (OJ C, C/2025/1800, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1800/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1822 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP915635 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1801, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1801/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/1826 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP23211 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1802, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1802/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/2618 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP202216 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1803, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1803/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 26 November 2024 on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize MON 94804 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/1804, 4.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/1804/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 12 February 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/2246, 29.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2246/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 12 February 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize MON 95275 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ C, C/2025/2247, 29.4.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/2247/oj). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 8 May 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified soybean MON 87705 × MON 87708 × MON 89788 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (P10_TA(2025)0106). |
| — | European Parliament resolution of 8 October 2025 on Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1898 of 22 September 2025 authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP51291 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (P10TA(2025)0222). |
<a href="https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ%253AC202601704#ntc5-C_202601704EN.000101-E0005">(5) OJ L 112, 30.4.2015, p. 26, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2015/688/oj.
(6) See, for example: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383574218300887, https://academic.oup.com/ije/advance-article/doi/10.1093/ije/dyz017/5382278, https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0219610 and https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6612199/.
(7) Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 January 2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law, establishing the European Food Safety Authority and laying down procedures in matters of food safety (OJ L 31, 1.2.2002, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2002/178/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/1704/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)
Named provisions
Related changes
Get daily alerts for EUR-Lex Official Journal C-series
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from EU Parliament.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when EUR-Lex Official Journal C-series publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.