There is nothing new in the ruling on MON 810 handed down by France’s senior committee on biotechnology  [Haut Conseil des Biotechnologies].  The message is such that the Government, only too ready to resort to the precautionary principle, can continue to maintain that its decision to suspend authorisation for growing BT maize is legitimate.

The expert assessment by the Scientific Committee did not reveal any matters of concern, but simply mentioned risks both vague and hypothetical.
 
The opinion expressed by the Committee for ethical, economic & social affairs (CEES) confirmed the strong ideological stance that is a feature of the behaviour of many members of the CEES, which is not a scientific committee.  The CEES was neither exercising its role nor remaining within the scope of its duty when it expressed disapproval of certain farming methods such as single crop farming of maize, the crop which they hold responsible for all environmental problems;  (these statements are utterly unfounded and are an insult to farmers).  Nor was the CEES carrying out its role when it developed arguments (on coexistence and non-GM farming) which apply more to GMs in general than to the specific GM trait being officially assessed.

Press contact : Anne KETTANEH – 01 44 31 10 96