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.”