由於歐盟連續六年限制基因改造食品及飼料的進口，美國、加拿大及墨西哥三國因而向世貿組織(WTO)提出申訴。日前，WTO爭端解決小組已作出初步裁決，支持美國等申訴方，但WTO小組並未公開決議內容。
不過，環保及貿易團體還是把它公開了，他們說「要讓全世界都涉入這場攸關我們食品未來的爭議。」 這些團體譴責WTO的保密心態，並呼籲各國政府確保由合格的團體針對健康與環境等複雜議題以透明而公開的方式進行決策。
歐洲「地球之友」組織貿易協調員華戴爾表示：「WTO將裁決草案保密，這種做法道盡了的WTO所有的缺失：秘密、不民主且偏袒商業利益。WTO應該最沒有資格決定人們吃些什麼，田裡種些什麼。」
WTO小組裁決內容指出，歐盟並未遵守「食品安全檢驗與動植物防疫檢疫措施協定」(即所謂的SPS協定) 所規範的義務。該協定的目標為預防各國政府以衛生措施為名目，保護國內工業與外國競爭。
根據WTO小組裁決內容，「在1999年6月至2003年8月間，也就是該小組成立之時，歐洲共同體對基改產品實施貿易禁令。」到2003年，歐盟則制定管理架構以管控基因改造食品及飼料的進口。
環保與貿易團體稱WTO的初步裁決為「大開倒車」，因為「在具有科學不確定性情況下，國家與地方政府有權制定自己的環保與衛生規範。」
美國農業與貿易政策研究所資深貿易助理蘇潘表示：「WTO爭端解決小組的設立目的，是要在一個以促進貿易為目標的架構下嚴格檢視相關規範，而不是要實現公共或環境健康目標。」
A World Trade Organization panel has issued draft conclusions upholding the complaints of United States, Canada and Argentina that the European Union did not allow imports of genetically modified food and feed for six years - but the panel did not make its conclusions public. Environmental and trade groups made the ruling available to allow "the whole world to engage in the debate on the future of our food."
The groups condemned the secrecy of the WTO and called on governments to ensure that complex health and environmental decisions are taken in a transparent manner by bodies qualified to do so.
"The WTO is keeping its draft ruling secret," said Alexandra Wandel, trade coordinator at Friends of the Earth Europe. "This sums up everything that is wrong with the WTO. It is secretive, undemocratic and biased towards business interests. The WTO should be the last institution to decide what people eat and grow in the fields."
The dispute resolutions panel concluded that the European Union did not meet its obligations under the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, known as the SPS Agreement. The agreement aims to prevent governments from using health measures to shield domestic industries from foreign competition.
The panel ruled that "The European Communities applied a general de facto moratorium on the approval of biotech products between June 1999 and August 2003, which is when this panel was established." The European Union enacted its regulatory framework governing the import of genetically modified food and feed in 2003.
The environmental and trade groups called the preliminary ruling "a major step back for the democratic rights of national and local governments to set their own environmental and human health regulations when there is scientific uncertainty."
"The WTO dispute panel is set up to view regulations strictly in a framework designed to facilitate trade, not to realize public or environmental health objectives," said Steve Suppan, senior trade associate at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
