Biotech Updates

Biotech in Europe

December 5, 2008

Despite regulatory restrictions and political threat, the estimated area planted to biotech corn is expected to increase to 110,000 ha in 2009 in Spain, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Slovakia and Germany. This was the projection of the EU-27 Biotechnology Annual 2008 released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service GAIN Report.

Although there is a European Union policy framework, Member States’ (MS) policy varies greatly. Most MS have national coexistence frameworks for biotech and non-biotech crops while others continue to maintain national bans on genetically engineered crops. There has been a drop in research with many scientists moving to the US where support is more favorable.

The full report is available at http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200811/146306614.pdf