Individual European Union states allowed to bar GM crops even if cleared as safe and healthy

The European Union will allow member countries to make their own decisions on growing genetically modified (GM) food in a compromise deal that followed years of fraught discussions.

“All member states, with the exception of Belgium and Luxembourg, have given their agreement,” Greek Agriculture Minister Ioannis Maniatis said after a meeting with his EU colleagues.

The key point of the accord gives individual EU states the right to bar GM crops, even if they have already won clearance on health and safety grounds at the EU level. Under normal EU procedures, approval in Brussels should mean member states have no further say in the matter. In practice, however, widespread public unease over GM foods and fierce environmentalist opposition, especially in countries such as France, have resulted in GM approval requests in Brussels being blocked for years.

Last year, US agro-chemical giant Monsanto abandoned efforts to get new approvals, saying it was no longer worth the effort.

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“The new system guarantees that the member states have a choice,” French Environment Minister Segolene Royal said.

Read the full, original article: EU to allow states to decide to grow GM foods