Austrian GMO Ban, Illegal Says EU Court
September 21, 2007| |
The European Court of Justice has confirmed that the statutory GMO free regions are illegal after dismissing the appeals of Upper Austria and the Austrian Government against their ban on the use of genetically modified crops in the region of Upper Austria. The Judgement says that practices such as organic or small scale farming cannot be used as an argument to prohibit the cultivation of biotech crops approved by the European Union. It also confirms that it is illegal for national governments to impose bans and deprive individual farmers of the choice to grow GM crops which have been approved for commercial cultivation in the EU.
“Attempts to create so called “GMO-free regions” should be seen for what they are: a denial of the freedom of choice for farmers and consumers” said Johan Vanhemelrijck, Secretary General EuropaBio – the EU association for bioindustries. He also added that the court’s dismissal is great news for farmers, for the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) scientific assessment, and for the EU biotech regulatory framework established by Member States. Farmers are free to take official actions should their region or government tries to stop them from cultivating approved transgenic crops.
Read the press release at http://www.europabio.org/articles/PR-Austrian_ECJ_070914.pdf
| |
Biotech Updates is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. It is distributed for free to over 22,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- Performance Plants Inc. Announces New Patents for Crop Drought Protection Technology
- OECD Reports on the Roundtable Discussion for Biofuel
- ICRISAT Strategies for Climate Change and Desertification
- Africa too Slow on Biosafety Legislation
- PhD Program for African Students Launched
- Protein-Rich Yam Bean in Africa?
- Monsanto and Dow to Develop Eight-Gene Stacked Combination in Maize
- Bayer Adds Third License to Senesco's Gene Technology
- IICA and Croplife Join Forces to Transfer Agro-Technologies
- IFIC Study Shows Little Change in Americans' Perception of Food Biotech
- Australia Approves Limited Release of GM Cotton
- Study Finds Widespread Herbicide Resistant Ryegrass in West Australia
- Argentine Food Officer Says GM Crops to Raise Farm Income in India
- Biofuel Consultation for the Asia Pacific Region
- Cornell U. Helps Develop GM Eggplant for Asia
- India's MOEF Exempts Rule on Approval for GMF Imports
- LIPI to Compile Biotechnology Indicators
- Biotech Course for RP Local Chief Executives
- IPR Workshop for Vietnam
- Austrian GMO Ban, Illegal Says EU Court
- Area under GM Maize in Spain Increased by 40 Percent in 2007
-
Research Highlights
- Bt Protein from GM Corn Does Not Persist in Soil
- Transgenic Rice with Improved Water Use Efficiency
- Producing Diarrhea and Cholera Vaccines in GM Carrots
- Recombinant Protein in Tobacco for Fungal and Insect Resistance
-
Announcements
- Asian Mycology Congress
-
Resources
- Brochure on Diffusion of TC Banana to Small-Scale Farmers in Kenya
-
Read the latest: - Biotech Updates (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Editing Supplement (April 24, 2024)
- Gene Drive Supplement (February 22, 2023)
-
Subscribe to BU: - Share
- Tweet