Poland: Government imposed ban on GM potato and maize cultivation

On 2 January 2013, the Polish Government approved two important ordinances banning the cultivation of the two GM crops MON 810 maize of USA-based Monsanto and Amflora potato of the German BASF. The latest extensively amended Seed Act made it possible to issue these bans and this way Poland is joining other EU Member States not allowing GM cultivation, among which are Austria, Germany, France, Greece, Hungary and Luxemburg, following public demand. Proper implementation and monitoring of this ban will discourage farmers from buying GM crops and allow Poland to be a country without GM cultivation.
 

Dariusz Szwed, Head of Programme Council of the Green Institute; Klaudia Wojciechowicz, citizens’ initiative GMO to nie to (GMO is not that); Marek Kryda, The Civil Affairs Institute (INSPRO) and Indigena Foundation; and Danuta Pilarska, Organic Farmers Union of Saint Francis of Assisi have expressed their satisfaction that their joint action and the intense public debate on genetically modified crops in Poland have concluded in accordance with expectations of the public and the President of Poland as well as official promises of the Polish Government. Now time has come for the next motion, expressed by the President of Poland lately: the proposal of a new GMO Act prepared with wide public consultations. The Polish Prime Minister is appealed to oblige the Minister of Environment to initiate work on a new GMO Act which will fully implement all EU regulations in this field, which is also an expectation of the European Commission.

Green Institute Foundation