(NaturalNews) It has been confirmed that France will extend its moratorium on the cultivation of Monsanto's genetically-modified (GM) MON810 corn within its borders, despite a recent ruling by the French Council of State that the longstanding ban violates European Union (EU) law. As reported in a recent AFP article translated into English by GMWatch.org, French Head of State Francois Hollande made an official public announcement that the moratorium will, indeed, be extended in order to ensure the integrity of the nation's agricultural system.
France first enacted a temporary ban on MON810 more than six years ago, citing an array of environmental threats posed by the untested "Frankencorn." The decision came after the European Commission (EC), of which France is a member, failed to suspend approval of the crop after studies had shown that the transgenic corn carries with it "important risks" to the environment. After consulting with the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the EC ultimately decided to ignore the tests and approve the GM crop anyway, forcing France to unilaterally reject it.
"Because of the proximity of the planting period, the Agriculture Ministry has decided ... to take a precautionary measure that means to temporarily prohibit the cultivation of the corn MON810 on the national territory in order to protect the environment," read a statement issued by the French government last year.
Fast forward roughly a year and a half and the EC still has not provided a shred of solid evidence showing that MON810 will not contaminate other crops or otherwise harm the environment. As such, France has decided to extend the ban, presumably indefinitely, rather than jump on the GMO bandwagon. Setting a bold example for the rest of the world to follow, France has chosen to exercise the precautionary principle and protect its agricultural heritage rather than succumb to biotechnology industry pressures.
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