Brussels, 01/08/2013 (Agence Europe) - The emergency measures decided by France in 2012 banning crops of genetically modified maize, Monsanto's MON 810, on its territory has been cancelled, it was learned on Thursday 1 August. The French Council of State annulled the decree of 16 March 2012 suspending the growing of GMO seed varieties as it felt that there were not sufficient grounds for the safeguard clause invoked. The French government nonetheless immediately announced that it would consider other ways to prevent environmental risks linked to growing this GMO, measures that should be taken by April 2014.
“Philippe Martin, Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Energy, and Stéphane Le Foll, Minister for Agriculture, Agri-Food and Forests, note the judgment and recall the government's commitment taken at the Environment Council in September 2012 - to maintain the moratorium on growing GMO seeds in order to prevent the environmental and economic risks for other crops and for apiculture. Considering the impact of this decision, ministers asked their departments to work on new courses of action to create a regulatory framework that would be sustainability suited to such objectives. A decision will be taken before the next sowing season between April and June 2014” (our translation), states a joint press release from the two ministers, dated 1 August.
In 2012, the French government invoked this safeguard clause, as it had not got from the European Commission suspension of authorisation to grow the GMO at European level as it had requested in February 2012 under Article 34 of Regulation 1829/2003 on genetically modified food and feed (see EUROPE 10577 and 10558). An earlier safeguard clause had previously been invalidated by the EU Court of Justice and the same Council of State. At the time, it was the legal basis of the measure that had been judged inadequate. (AN/transl.jl)