U.S. biotech company Monsanto said on Thursday France’s decision to ban one of its genetically modified varieties of maize was illegal and would be harmful to the sector. [...] Monsanto said the committee had not turned up any scientific proof which had not already been reviewed by the EU, which had authorized use of MON 810 throughout the 27-nation bloc in 1998. ”There is no doubt that the (committee’s) opinion does not fulfill any of the criteria which would allow ... the French state to suspend the application of a legal authorization based on a rational and scientific evaluation,” Monsanto said.