BASF European Operations to Move to U.S.

The BASF Plant Science headquarters in Europe will move to Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. "The socio-political climate and the regulatory conditions do not give us any indication that genetically modified plants can be successfully commercialized in Europe in the years to come," said BASF President Peter Eckes.

BASF will henceforth, concentrate on the markets in North and South America, and Asia. Projects with a solely European focus will be canceled. Plans are set for the closure of sites in Gatersleben, Germany, and Svalöv, Sweden while some few functions will remain in Limburgerhof, Germany.

"However, this does not mean we are pulling out of Europe completely. As in the past, we will continue our industry-leading research and avail of the close partnership and collaboration with top scientists in Germany and Europe. For this purpose, we are strengthening our sites in Ghent, Belgium, and Berlin, Germany," Eckes explained.

The news release said that BASF Plant Science will halt the development and commercialization of all products that are targeted solely for cultivation in the European markets such as genetically modified starch potatoes (Amflora, Amadea and Modena), a potato resistant to the disease late blight called Fortuna as well as a late blight resistant starch potato and a wheat variety resistant to fungal disease. However,  to maintain all options for the potato products, BASF Plant Science will continue the regulatory approval processes for the products already started.

View BASF President Eckes statement at http://www.basf.com/group/corporate/en/products-and-industries/biotechnology/plant-biotechnology/index.