The European Commission’s proposal to allow European Union countries to ban cultivation of genetically modified crops has raised legal questions, a spokesman for the bloc’s regulatory arm said.
Lawyers of the EU’s Council of Ministers issued a “negative analysis” of the proposal, saying it may not be in accordance with Article 114 of the EU’s Lisbon Treaty, Frederic Vincent, a spokesman for the commission, said.
EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli wants to give member countries discretion to allow, ban or restrict modified crops, leaving them free to opt out of cultivating plants that have been approved on an EU-wide basis. Article 114 of the treaty deals with the functioning of the 27- nation EU’s internal market.
The commission’s legal department found the proposal in accordance with EU law, Vincent said. The legal department of the European Parliament will also offer an opinion “in coming days,” he said.
©2010 BLOOMBERG L.P. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
