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Mexico has moved to ban experimental fields of genetically modified (GM) maize. But the gateway into Mexico of transgenic maize, in the form of unlabeled grain imports, remains ajar.

The pending approval for commercial release of a genetically modified potatoe, which has been developed by Amylogene, Sweden, now taken over by BASF, Germany, would be the first EU approval for cultivation of a GMO since 1998. A proposal of the EU Commission is expected very soon.

The Council of Latio has adopted, with only two abstentions and no votes against, a law which prohibits the growing of GMOs in the region as well as their sale in kindergartens, schools, hospitals and other public catering places.

EuropeanCommission is going to send a formal letter to the Polish authorities tonotify them that the law on genetically modified organisms (GMO) doesnot comply with EU requirements. The law prohibits cultivation and tradein GMOs. Polish government has two months to send an explanation. Shouldit fail to amend the law on time, Poland could be facing a Court ofJustice trial and a sizeable fine.

The European Commission decided today to re-submit to the EU Council of Ministers proposals to lift the ban imposed by Austria on the marketing of two authorised genetically modified maize varieties, MON810 and T25. Austria introduced these bans under Directive 90/220/EEC in 1999 and 2000 respectively. The Council can either adopt or reject the proposals with a qualified majority.

The European Union is set to introduce mandatory tests of rice imports from the United States following the finding of an unauthorised GMO strain in recentweeks, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

The WTO has ruled that the EU's GM food ban was illegal, but has failed to uphold some of the charges levelled by the US, Canada and Argentina.

The 1,000-page final report, which was made public last week, reiterated the dispute panel verdict that the European Union's six-year moratorium on imports of genetically modified food and crops was illegal.

Friends of the Earth Europe has today called for alternative ways to deal with environmental trade disputes. The call comes as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) publishes its final ruling on the transatlantic trade dispute on genetically modified foods. Friends of the Earth Europe believes that there will be "no clear winners but many losers" in today's ruling, the longest in WTO history.

The municipality of Loulé has declared itself GMO free and aims to join the network of European GMO free regions. The Metropolitan Committee of the Algarve (AMAL) intends to declare the whole region GMO free soon.

The french minister of agriculture, Dominique Bussereau, announced that a contentious law project on GMOs, which would implement European directives and also regulate co-existence, will not be submitted to the Parliament for a second reading. Instead the EU directive would be implemented by means of government decrees to avoid EU penalties. A new law proposal would be submitted later, "as the president decides". It is unlikely that this will happen before the presidential elections next year.