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EU law ends
ban on GMO crops; but status quo may continue
by Dan Murphy
The Meating Place
23-Oct-2002
View original article
New rules in
force across the European Union aimed at ending a virtual ban on
genetically modified crops went into effect last week, according to
an EU news release.
The
legislation strengthens 10-year-old rules on testing and licensing
GMOs used as crops or ingredients. The new directive orders more
detailed pre-market scientific evaluation of GMOs and improved
transparency throughout the different stages of the authorization
procedure and subsequent handling of GMOs. Pre-market evaluations
will continue, taking into account the risk assessment principles set
out in the new directive.
Although the
measure could end a three-year-old moratorium on GM products by a
handful of EU states, some states asserted that the moratorium would
stand until additional traceability and labeling laws were in place.
France heads a
group of EU countries that pledged in June 1999 to block any GM
products not already authorized in the EU from entering the market
ahead of new regulations. Luxembourg, Austria, Greece, Italy, Denmark
and Belgium also support the ban. The group is holding out for more
rules to ensure that GM products would be clearly labeled and could
be traced back to the farm where they were grown.
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