The group, lead by Austria, tabled the proposal at yesterday’s Environment Council meeting. The bid is being seen by some as one possible solution to break the deadlock that has dogged the proliferation of GM produce over the past decade.

This view was reinforced after the Netherlands, a traditionally pro-GM country, did not object to the bid. Once source told FoodProductionDaily.com that Dutch officials saw the move as a practical resolution to a long-running problem.

Under the proposal, the rule change would national governments say-so over cultivation only, with decisions surrounding authorisation and bringing products to market still being made at EU level.