BRUSSELS: The European Commission reiterated on Friday its rebuttal of US accusations that the bloc's reservations about genetically modified food (GMOs) are leading to starvation in Africa.
The EU executive also said the timing of a US complaint over the issue to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was "unfortunate."
"The allegations made by the United States... making reference to starvation in Africa are incorrect and unhelpful," said Reijo Kempinnen, spokesman for commission head Romano Prodi.
The transatlantic rift over GMOs spilled out into the open at an EU-US summit in Washington on Wednesday, after US President George W Bush said Monday that EU opposition to biotechnology had a chilling effect on African efforts to harness the technology to fight famine.
"We have in no way tried to influence the African attitude to GMOs," said the commission spokesman, adding: "The difference in terms of approach remains." "We are convinced that the approach that we have... is the best possible one in providing them with cash instead of dumpging food or that type of product on them," he said.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick this week defended the decision to file a WTO complaint, saying "a number of Africans... have told me they are afraid of developing biotech products because they can't sell it to Europe."
The European Commission said the EU was moving ahead with new legislation on GMOs, and the WTO complaint was not useful. "The timing of the WTO case was quite unfortunate in this respect," said the spokesman.
"We don't intend to change our policy... and the Americans did not give any indication of intending to withdraw their complaint to the WTO," he added.
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