Le Monde | • Updated | By
This is a victory for the seed, but a symbolic victory. The Council of State annulled Friday 15 April, a decree of March 2014 prohibiting the marketing, use and cultivation of MON810 maize Monsanto group in France. A judgment for form since, under a French law of June 2014 and the new European legislation on GMOs, genetically modified corn can not be grown in France.
The European Commission authorized on 22 April 1998, the placing on the market of MON810, the star Monsanto corn, altered to give it greater resistance to insect pests. But March 14, 2014, the Minister of Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, had issued an order for a total ban on French territory. It was based on European law at the time, which allowed to take safeguard clauses and emergency measures for environmental and health reasons. The order was challenged before the Council of State by farmers and several professional organizations of seed and corn growers.
In its decision, the Supreme Administrative Court held that the arguments put forward by France did not allow not to conclude the existence of a “significant jeopardizing so manifest risk to human health, animal health or the environment” . The State Council holds that the opinion of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have certainly accepted the risk of development of resistance in insects or reduction of the population of certain species of butterflies, but these risks can be controlled, including the use of areas of refuge. In the end, according to EFSA, MON810 maize presents no more danger to the environment than conventional maize.
The Council of State has canceled the decree of 2014, the same how he had struck the two previous moratoria made by France on MON810 in 2008 and 2012. Paris will pay the sum of 4500 euros to the plaintiffs.
” today undeniable risks “
This decision will not, however, result in a return of transgenic maize in France. “The cultivation of MON810 is forbidden in France , reacts the Ministry of Agriculture. Our position remains the opposition to transgenic crops, which have now undeniable risks, and do not bring in the medium to long term benefits that are worth the risk. “
In fact, since the Law of 2 June 2014, GM corn is prohibited throughout national territory. Especially with the new European directive of April 2015, Member States may request the ban on GM crops on their territory, even validated by EFSA for reasons of agricultural policy, regional planning or social consequences -economic. In September, France was required, as well as 18 other countries, excluding the national territory for the new GM maize already authorized or under authorization at EU level. The Commission has responded favorably in March
Read also:. GMOs banned by most European countries
The MON810 maize, the only GMO currently cultivated in Europe is mainly planted in Spain and Portugal, with 117 000 hectares in 2015. – a figure that continues to decline as the years
“There will be no GM maize in France , confirms Luc Esprit, director of the national Federation of the production of maize and sorghum seeds. The decision of the State Council is a victory of principle. We had wanted to honor, to recognize that the prohibition order made by the Minister of Agriculture was not based on scientific grounds, but only on a political doctrine. “
Greenpeace, meanwhile, is already looking into another battle. ” The law of June 2014 protects France MON810 as all transgenic corn , says Anaïs Fourest charge of agricultural issues for the NGO. The danger now comes from new GMOs from advanced biotechnology, the industry want to get through the regulatory stitches. This is the new challenge at European level. “
Read also: Battles and controversy around the new GM
No comments:
Post a Comment