Court overturns Monsanto ban

Government promises swift appeal after France’s highest court overturns ban on growing MON810 maize

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FRANCE’S highest court the Conseil d'Etat has overturned a ban on the cultivation of the genetically modified crop MON810 – owned by Monsanto.

The minister of agriculture Stéphane Le Foll has already announced that the government will appeal the decision.

“The Conseil d’Etat is not the decider. It is not them who say whether or not we can ban GM crops,” Mr Le Foll told Europe1.

The court said its decision followed European jurisprudence: that such a ban could only be put in place in an emergency and a situation that posed a large risk to the health of humans, animals or the environment.

A similar decision was made by the court when it overturned exactly the same ban on MON810 in 2011. The then government of François Fillon reacted by initiating another new law banning the crop.

It is likely the government will follow suite and draw up a fresh law to ban it.

Photo: Flickr/Shareski

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