EU Reaches Deal On Biotech Crops

Countries in the European Union will have the final say on whether genetically modified crops are grown within their borders under an agreement reached earlier this month between the European Parliament and heads of EU nations. The draft legislation, which still needs formal approval, will give EU countries the option to ban or put limits on growing genetically modified crops, even if the crops are approved for cultivation in the EU. The agreement is “a significant step forward, after four years of intense debates on this issue,” says EU Health & Food Safety Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis. Biotech industry group EuropaBio says allowing EU nations to reject safe technologies would undermine innovation. Advocacy groups say the law will lead to more genetically modified crops being grown in the EU.