The cultivation of genetically modified crops in Europe is decreasing due to public distrust and their harmful impact on the environment, as highlighted in new reports from Greenpeace and the organization Friends of the Earth.
These were presented this week in Brussels. The area under genetically modified corn MON 810 from the American producer Monsanto, the only GM crop approved in the EU, has decreased by 11 percent. Specifically, from 106,737 hectares in 2008 to 94,749 hectares in 2009, environmental protection organizations emphasize.
Germany’s decision to ban the cultivation of this corn has dealt a heavy blow to the American producer. The cultivation of MON 810 corn is also banned in France, Austria, Greece, Hungary, and Luxembourg. These six countries invoked the safeguard clause provided by European regulations for GM crops.
Genetically modified corn is cultivated in six EU member states: Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, and Slovakia, Greenpeace states. In total, two GM crops are awaiting approval for cultivation in the EU – the renewal of MON 810’s permit and the Amflora potato from German Bayer. The European Food Safety Authority considers that these two crops do not pose a threat to health, although Amflora contains a genetic marker for antibiotic resistance, and MON 810 contains an insecticide molecule. (hrt.hr)
