EU to set up GM-organic crop taskforce

European Union farm ministers appear to be set to establish a taskforce to look at how genetically modified (GM) crops can be planted alongside organic fields without problems, as 15 farm ministers from the 25-nation bloc supported the idea.

Under European Commission proposals, regulations to deal with the coexistence of GM and organic crops are supposed to be set by national governments using a set of guidelines advanced by the EU executive. Still, few EU governments have put regulations in place on the issue.

National governments are apparently worried about political fallout from any easing of the rules for GM crops. These governments prefer that the European Commission set the rules. European Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler told the ministers he continued to support the EU executive's approach.

feedstuffs.com