EU Parliament to adopt new GM crop national opt-out law

Publication - January 12, 2015
MEDIA BRIEFING - On Tuesday, the European Parliament is expected to adopt a new law allowing EU countries to ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops. The law is expected to come into force in the coming weeks, after rubberstamping by European ministers.

In February 2014, activists discovered illegally planted GM corn on a field in the South West of France. Greenpeace asked the government to conduct an investigation of other potentially existing GM cultures in the country, calling for a reform of the EU's GMO authorisation process.

Greenpeace is concerned that biotech companies will have a central role in the banning process and that EU countries could be exposed to legal challenges. This briefing explains the content of the new law and its likely consequences.

Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said: “This new law is supposed to give countries some legal muscle to prevent GM crops from being grown on their territory. But it has some major flaws: it grants biotech companies the power to negotiate with elected governments and excludes the strongest legal argument to ban GM crops – evidence of environmental harm."

To access the full media briefing, please click on the link below.

GMOs briefing 12012015 FINAL

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