On Sept. 6, the European Court of Justice clarified the legal requirements for the cultivation of genetically-modified (GM) crops in the Member States of the European Union. The Court confirmed that additional national authorization procedures, introduced on top of the existing approval process conducted by the European authorities (European Food Safety Authority) to be unlawful. It also declared that coexistence measures are not mandatory to grow GM plants.
“The cultivation of genetically modified organisms such as the MON 810 maize varieties cannot be made subject to a national authorization procedure when the use and marketing of those varieties are authorized” said the Court of Justice. The relevant EU legislation “does not entitle a Member State to prohibit in a general manner the cultivation on its territory of such genetically modified organisms pending the adoption of coexistence measures to avoid the unintended presence of genetically modified organisms in other crops” added the European institution.
View the original article here: Highest European court confirms GM crop rights
