French Court Overturns Ban on GMO Maize; Later Ban Still in Effect

France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, has reportedly
invalidated a 2014 decree banning Monsanto’s MON810 maize, a genetically
modified organism (GMO), because the decree did not demonstrate
that the maize would cause serious health or environmental risks, a
standard determined by EU rules. The ruling will not allow GMO maize
to be cultivated in the country; in 2015, an EU directive allowed member
nations to prohibit GMO crops, and France passed legislation complying
with the directive’s standards. The later law bans cultivation of all GMO
maize in France.

The French maize seed federation sought to appeal the earlier rule
despite the symbolic nature of the action to argue that the ban was
not based on sound science. “It was more a matter of principle that we
conduct this appeal to show there was no scientific basis to the ban,” the
organization’s managing director told Reuters. “In concrete terms, it will
not change the situation in France.” See Reuters and The Connexion,
April 15, 2016.

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