Law amendment on GMO in France

After many hours of heated debates on a bill on GMO, marked by many insults between the rightists and the leftists, the French National Assembly adopted an amendment raised by the opposition, defended by the communist delegate of Puy-de-Dôme, André Chassaigne. It indicates that transgenic plants only may be cultivated in the respect of “agricultural structures, local ecosystems" and in line with production methods which are qualified as “without genetically modified organisms”, and in "full transparency”. The bill was voted for by the socialistic, communist and green delegates, but also by four delegates of the majority, which overturned the assembly.

The bill of the government had just allotted that the GMO cultures have to have their place “in respect of the environment and of the public health”. Since April 1st, the date of the beginning of the debate which had the goal to fix a long-time frame for the co-existence of the GMO and non-GMO agriculture, the delegates of the opposition did not quit warning against the hazards which GMOs bring to quality certifications like AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) and organic certification. The adoption of this amendment represents a “major advantage for GMO-free cultures”, since it is a legal basis to exclude GMO from certain zones, the socialistic delegates underlined. The opposition called it a political victory.

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