Asked by students in Sofia whether he was against GM foods, after the EU approved their cultivation, he said: "I am, generally speaking, against because we don't know what will be the long-term effect of it."

"But we cannot win that battle," added the Polish European lawmaker.

If Europe decided to keep itself free from genetically-modified products it risked losing out in terms of competitivity, he warned.

"We cannot win this battle, so I am not fighting," the European Parliament president said.

GM foods were also necessary in countries like Bangladesh, where salty-drop hurricanes were devastating rice paddies, he argued.

"No rice can grow there except for GM rice. Without GMO (genetically-modified organisms), half their population should die. Can you take such a decision?" Buzek asked.

A European Commission decision on Tuesday to approve the cultivation of genetically-modified potatoes prompted an angry response from environmental campaign groups across Europe.

Asked whether he supported individual EU member states declaring themselves free from GM food despite the EU ruling, Buzek said no country could run checks on every single imported product in a global economy.

"We are having a lot of GMO around even if we are against. It is very difficult for us to stop it. But it is always possible to try," he said.

Bulgarian organic food supporters recently staged a string of protests following a parliament debate on easing restrictions for growing GM products outside research laboratories and close to protected areas.

On Wednesday, Buzaek was handed 3,000 postcards hand-made by Bulgarian children calling for Bulgaria to remain GM free.