04.12.2009
France?s High Biotech Council defines biotech-free production
The report [of the French High Biotech Council] includes recommendations to label products with ?GMO-free? when containing less than 0.1 percent transgenic DNA for plant products, and for animal products derived from animals fed on less than 0.1 percent biotech feed. Based on this recommendation, the French government will prepare a decree to regulate ?GMO-free? labeling in 2010, subject to public comment.
13.11.2009
France prepares voluntary ?GMO-free? labels
France is set to create a set of voluntary ?GMO-free? labelling schemes to help conventional agricultural producers to distinguish their produce in the market, it emerged this week. An opinion was submitted to the French government this week by the country?s new High Council for Biotechnology, arguing for labelling standards which go beyond the EU framework and allow crop and livestock producers to cover the high costs of remaining ?GMO-free?.
06.07.2009
GMO corn: France rejects report by EU food agency
France on Friday rejected a report by the European Union?s food safety watchdog that said a controversial strain of genetically-modified corn was safe. In a joint statement, the French ecology and agriculture ministries said the Italy-based European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) had failed to take into account requests to change the way it evaluated the risk. ?The conclusions of the council of European environment ministers must be respected,? the statement said, referring to a December 4, 2008 decision, approved unanimously, that had called on the agency to overhaul its assessment methods.
17.02.2009
EU foiled in bid to force France, Greece to allow GM crop
The European Commission was foiled Monday in its bid to force France and Greece to allow genetically modified maize from US biotech giant Monsanto to be grown in their fields. Food chain experts from the EU member states, meeting in Brussels, could not reach agreement on whether to back or oppose the French and Greek refusal to allow the maize, which has been given the green light to be grown in Europe. The standing committee on food chain and animal health ?failed to reach a qualified majority in favour or against,? the commission said in a statement.
22.10.2008
France hopes to break GMO deadlock by December
EU envrionment ministers continued to disagree on whether member states should be allowed to establish GMO-free zones for sensitive areas, although they did concur on the need for better long-term environmental risk assessment of GMOs. Following a number of informal discussions earlier this summer, the EU-27 environment ministers debated the bloc?s GMO authorisation procedure in a Council meeting on 20 October. But member states clashed on the issues of protecting sensitive and protected territories and establishing GMO-free zones.
07.04.2008
French parliament kicks off debate on new GMO law
France?s parliament began a long-awaited debate on Tuesday on a proposed new law governing genetically modified crops that is contested fiercely by green groups and ecologists. Parliamentarians from the National Assembly will thrash out proposals approved by the Senate in early February before casting votes towards the end of the week. Second readings within both the upper and lower house are likely before the government passes the law later in the year.
20.03.2008
French farmers lose bid to overturn GM corn ban
A group of French farmers on Wednesday lost a bid to overturn a government ban on a strain of genetically-modified corn, a month after it came into force. France?s highest administrative body, the state council, rejected the challenge from nine plaintiffs including a maize producers? association backed by the US agribusiness giant Monsanto, which produces the strain. ?The judge has rejected the complaint,? said a spokeswoman for the state council. ?There are no serious doubts as to the legality of the decisions? to ban the use of MON810 strain of corn, the only GM crop grown in France.
08.02.2008
France to formally request GMO ban at EU level
France will file a request with the European Union to formally ban the commercial use of the only genetically modified (GMO) crop grown in the country this Friday, Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo said. France issued an internal decree in December to suspend commercial use of MON 810, a maize developed by U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, until February 9. It has since said it would invoke what is known as a safeguard clause at European Union level to secure a more long term ban though it will be required to provide new, scientific proof of the risks posed by the GMO seed to succeed.
23.11.2007
Researchers develop non-GE beans to cope with harsh mediterranean conditions
Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are important source of dietary proteins. In the Mediterranean, however, common beans are incapable of growing because of poor soil and limited water. Researchers from the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA), International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the University of Frankfurt, developed new bean lines capable of tolerating the harsh Mediterranean environment.
06.11.2007
France casts doubts on timing of GMO evaluation
It may take longer than expected to assess pest-resistant genetically modified (GMO) crops for use in France, the agriculture minister said in remarks published on Monday. ?I cannot be absolutely sure how long it will take to carry out the scientific evaluation,? Michel Barnier told the farming publication Agra Press. ?I cannot say today that everything will have been completed in February,? he added.
05.11.2007
Monsanto regrets Sarkozy stance on GMOs
U.S. biotech giant Monsanto expressed its deep disappointment on Friday after French President Nicolas Sarkozy decided to suspend the planting of GMO crops pending a full appraisal of the issue. In a statement, Monsanto said Sarkozy?s move was ?incomprehensible? and that the company?s GMO technology helped fulfil the very environmental goals of France -- to reduce pesticide use and economise on water. ?Monsanto is deeply disappointed by the statements made by the president on the subject of GMOs,? it said.
25.09.2007
Total ban on GM crops not possible: EU Commission
A total freeze on commercial genetically modified crops, such as France may be considering, is not allowed under EU rules, the European Commission said Friday. ?A general ban is not possible? for an EU state or region, said Barbara Helfferich, spokeswoman for EU Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas.
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