Greenpeace reacts to the European Commission’s decision to order the lifting of a Greek ban on the cultivation of genetically modified maize (MON 810)

"Today's decision refers to a national ban against the cultivation of one GM crop in one member state, Greece, but it has a much broader impact. By overruling the Greek government's attempt to protect its fields from contamination by this GM maize, the Commission is showing its contempt for the majority of EU citizens and 165 regions that say they do not want GMOs. The Commission lied when it told member states that this GM maize met the legal requirements for cultivation: this GMO was evaluated in 1998 under legislation which was superseded in 2002."

Other contacts:

Eric Gall, GMO policy adviser, Greenpeace European Unit, tel +32 2 274 1906 or +32 496 161 582
Katharine Mill, media officer, Greenpeace European Unit, tel +32 2 274 1903 or +32 496 156 229

Notes:

* The Commission has still not developed a policy to prevent the contamination of conventional and organic crops. All the while, it continues, unilaterally, to approve GMOs and attack those member states that seek to protect their GM-free agriculture.
* Greenpeace revealed in March 2005 that the European Commission had given false and misleading information to member states by saying that Monsanto had fulfilled the current legal requirements to allow the commercial growing of its genetically modified maize (MON 810). For example,
the monitoring plan supplied by the company does not include measures to detect environmental impacts of growing the crop, as required under Directive 2001/18. See briefing: http://eu.greenpeace.org/downloads/gmo/BriefingMON810.pdf