Germany Tightens Restrictions on Genetically Modified Corn
SPIEGEL ONLINE ~~ May 09, 2007

The German government has imposed stricter regulations on the foodcompany Monsanto regarding the sale of genetically modified cornseeds. The new rules are tantamount to an outright ban.
Brandenburg farmer Jörg Piprek checks his crop of GM cornDPA: Brandenburg farmer Jörg Piprek checks his crop of GM corn in this2005 file photo. The sign reads "Keep out!"
Genetically modified (GM) crops have long been controversial inGermany, where organic agriculture is booming. Now the cultivation ofGM corn has been effectively banned by the government, according tomedia reports.
In its Wednesday edition, the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel reportsthat it has obtained a letter sent from the Federal Ministry ofAgriculture to the agricultural company Monsanto, which sells the GMcorn MON 810 -- which has been legal in Germany up until now -- asseed. In the letter, the ministry writes that GM corn from the MON 810product line can only be delivered to third parties if the firm alsoprovides an accompanying monitoring plan which researches the effectson the environment. The German news agency DPA also reported Wednesdaythey had obtained a copy of the same letter.
"This amounts to a de facto ban on the cultivation of geneticallymodified corn," said Peter Rudolph, who is responsible for genetictechnology in the Brandenburg state ministry of agriculture, inremarks to Der Tagesspiegel Tuesday. He said the letter basicallymeans Monsanto will no longer be allowed to sell MON 810, as thecompany has not presented any monitoring plan up until now.Brandenburg is the German state with the largest quantity of GM cornunder cultivation.
In the letter, the federal ministry justifies its decision by writingthat new information "gives reasons to suppose that the cultivation ofMON 810 poses a danger to the environment."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture told the newspaper thatthe letter should not be interpreted as a ban, but rather as atightening of the regulations concerning the cultivation of the GM corn.
The new ruling could mean that crops already planted may not beallowed to be harvested. Brandenburg farmer Jörg Piprek told DerTagesspiegel the new ruling was absurd: "We've already planted thecorn. They can't tell us after the fact that it was illegal."
The cultivation of genetically modified crops has been controversialall over Europe, with anti-GM activists going as far as ripping upcrops. The German Agriculture Minister Horst Seehofer has up until nowjustified the cultivation of GM crops in Germany by arguing they areallowed under European Union regulations.
dgs/dpa

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