Latvia, Greece win opt-out from Monsanto GM crop

Monsanto said it would abide by Latvia's and Greece's requests under a new EU opt-out law to be excluded from its application to grow a genetically modified (GM) crop across the European Union, but accused them of ignoring science.

Under a law signed in March, individual countries can seek exclusion from any approval request for GM cultivation across the EU. While the European Commission is responsible for approvals, requests to be excluded also have to be submitted to the company making the application.

GM crops are widely-grown in the Americas and Asia, but Monsanto's pest-resistant MON810 is the only variety grown in Europe, where opposition is fierce.

France and Germany have said they are opposed to GM cultivation, and while Britain is in favour, the Scottish government is against.

Brussels – Responding to reports that most member states endorsed today a Greek presidency proposal on how countries could ban the cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops in their territory, Greenpeace warns that this deal is riddled with legal holes.

Most importantly, it does not address health and environmental risks posed by GM crops. Moreover, biotech companies would be given an official role in the banning process, further increasing their influence over the European Commission and national governments.

Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said: “It looks like EU countries are falling for a Trojan horse. What the European Commission wanted to achieve through this draft law is to speed up EU approvals of GM crops -despite the fact that the European public is opposed to them. Today’s deal would do very little to help those countries who want to say ‘no’ to GM.”

Brussels, May 27, 2014 – A new GM law being discussed in Brussels this week could grant biotech companies, like Monsanto and Syngenta, unprecedented power over decisions on whether to ban genetically modified (GM) crops in Europe, according to Friends of the Earth Europe.

The new law is being promoted as a way to give governments more sovereignty over decisions on whether to ban GM crops. However, the current proposals give biotech companies the legal right to decide whether a ban should be allowed. If companies refuse, governments are forced to fall back on vague, non-scientific legal grounds upon which to ban GM crops, opening the door to legal challenges.

Greece extended its ban on a genetically modified strain of corn seed developed by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto Co. for another two years, the Agriculture Ministry said Wednesday. The ban on importing and cultivating MON810 has also been expanded to include 100 types of the seed - up from 70 last year, the ministry said in a statement.

Griechenland ist eines der Länder, wo der gentechnisch veränderte Mais der Linie MON 810, der in diesen Tag in Deutschland ausgebracht wird, verboten ist. Und das wird auch in den nächsten 2 Jahren so bleiben. Letzte Woche wurde das griechische Verbot verlängert und auf 70 Mais-Sorten ausgeweitet. Der griechische Agrarminister Alexandros Kondos begründete das Verbot mit möglichen gesundheitlichen Risiken sowie mit der Bedrohung für die Imkerei. In Griechenland werden ca. 16% des europäischen Honigs hergestellt.