Parliament votes to give European countries legally solid right to ban GM cultivation

12 November 2014
by greenpeace -- last modified 12 November 2014

The European Parliament voted today on a new law on national bans of genetically modified (GM) crops.

The Parliament's environment committee voted to amend the position agreed last June by ministers, which, according to Greenpeace, was riddled with legal holes and went against the Parliament's earlier vote.

Commenting on the outcome of the vote, Marco Contiero, Greenpeace EU agriculture policy director said: "Thumbs up to the new Parliament for wanting to secure a GM-free agriculture and environment for Europeans. Parliamentarians have radically improved the text adopted by the Council, which was heavily influenced by the UK government pro-GM stance. Today's vote would give European countries a legally solid right to ban GM cultivation in their territory, making it difficult for the biotech industry to challenge such bans in court."

In its position, the Parliament reinstated countries' right to ban GM crop cultivation because of environmental concerns, and limited the central role that the EU ministers wanted to offer to biotech companies in the banning process. The Parliament, Commission and governments will now start negotiations, aiming to finalise this new law in the coming weeks.

Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace does not accept donations from governments, the EU, businesses or political parties.

Greenpeace