Greenpeace praises EU ministers’ rejection of GM law compromise

Greenpeace welcomed the decision taken by EU environment ministers to reject a compromise today, coined by the Danish presidency, on a new law setting out how countries could ban genetically modified (GM) crops from being grown in their territories.

The global campaigning organisation said the proposed compromise was flawed since it only offered legally weak grounds to ban GM cultivation. “It also gave biotech lobbyists a formal role in negotiations on national bans and would have side-lined valid scientific concerns around GM crops,” Greenpeace said.

“Fortunately, EU ministers today rejected a flawed deal on a new GM law. Countries must have a solid right to ban GM cultivation in their own territory because of environmental concerns. The European Parliament hit the nail on the head in their vote on this last year. Ministers will have another chance to get it right,” Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director Marco Contiero said.

The Danish presidency will now try to strike a new agreement on this law at the next Environment Council in June.