2014-06-05 | permalink

EU: Environment ministers will vote on how countries could ban the cultivation of GM crops

Thursday 12 June 2014: Environment Council

The Council is expected to reach political agreement on the proposal for a regulation amending
directive 2001/18/EC as regards the possibility for member states to restrict or prohibit the
cultivation, in all or part of their territory, of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that have
been authorized at EU level.

The Commission presented its GMO cultivation proposal (12371/10 + ADD 1) in July 2010 with the
aim of providing a legal basis to allow member states to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs
in their territory on grounds other than health and environment considerations, which had already
been addressed during the EU authorization process for GMOs. The proposal has been examined
under several presidencies since then and following the exchange of views at the Environment
Council of March 2014, member states showed willingness to re-open discussions on the proposal, on the basis of the Presidency compromise text.

• Thursday 12 June 2014: Environment Council - Overview of the agenda
• GM Freeze | Contamination Matters: Why GM crops can’t be managed at a national level
• GM Crops for Europe – The Deal Nobody Wants | Food and Water Watch
• GMO-free EU under threat - Misleading proposal from Greek Presidency agreed in Coreper | GMOfreeEU
• Monsanto to be given right in decisions to ban GMOs | Friends of the Earth Europe
• Worrying reports on deal between EU countries on new law on genetically modified crops | Greenpeace EU Unit
• FAO study: Cases of GMO contamination rise | EurActiv