French president announces moratorium on growing genetically modified maize

11 January 2008

During his big press conference on January 9th in front of 500 journalists in Paris, French president Nicolas Sarkozy announced, according to Dutch daily NRC, among other things, a ban on growing genetically modified maize/corn of the MON810-type.

According to an article on Reute rs UK, that the december-issue of the EuropaBio-newsletter refers to, growing this maize in France has been suspended since December 6th 2007. Originally, this suspension ends no later than February 9th 2008, while a new organisation investigates environmental and health effects. 

This new "Haute autorité sur les OGM" would, according to the NRC clipping, have stated on january 9ththat this maize, developed by America-based Monsanto, has unexpected effects on the environment.

Whether this outcome means the moratorium will remain intact after February 9th 2008, the article doesn't mention.

After Austria, France is the second EU-country to put a national moratorium in place regarding EU-approved genetically modified crops.

source: NRC 10 januari 2008 (René Moerland), Europabio Nieuwsbrief december 2007 (verwijzend naar Reuters UK 6 december 2007 (Tamora Vidaillet & Valerie Parent))