U.K. Says EU Law Forbids Moratorium on Gene Crops, FT Reports
Bloomberg News
February 19, 1999, 4:10 a.m. ET
London, Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- The U.K. government said a
moratorium on commercial planting of genetically modified crops,
which some critics of such technology have called for, would
break European Union law, the Financial Times reported, citing a
report which the government sent to all members of parliament.
Environment minister Michael Meacher also said that while the
government is against a moratorium, it urged industry to impose
further voluntary delays -- beyond the government's promised
delay until the first half of 2000 -- if current safety trials of
the crops suggest it's necessary. Meacher said that while he
believes industry will cooperate, the government could ''consider
our powers at the time,'' the FT reported.
Meacher this week denied that the government shelved an
internal report which warned that plants, insects, birds and
wildlife could be wiped out by the introduction of genetically
modified crops, and said the report will be published.
(FT 2/19 p.20 www.ft.com)
--Michael Bleby in the London newsroom (44 171) 330-7041/ab |
