Brussels Blocks Austrian Attempt to Create Gm-free Zone

The European commission has blocked the first attempt by an EU region to turn itself into a statutory GM-free zone.

Upper Austria wanted a total ban on cultivating genetically modified crops to protect conventional and organic crops, as well as wildlife, from potential contamination. Yesterday the commission refused, arguing Austria had presented no new scientific evidence to support such a ban, and could not opt out of EU-wide rules anyway.

The ruling sent a signal that Brussels will not tolerate GM-free zones, something to delight America's biotechnology lobby. Although there has been a EU moratorium on GM crop approvals since 1998, it is expected to be lifted this year once rules on safety and labelling come into force.

The regional government of Upper Austria is desperate to be excluded, and is not alone.

The commission, however, is under huge pressure to restart GM approvals and has taken legal action against those countries refusing to lift the moratorium. The US has begun a case in the World Trade Organisation to force the EU's hand.

Mindful of this, the commission said member states were entitled to "appropriate measures" to ensure conventional crops were not contaminated - but stressed a total ban was out of the question. "We have analysed the Austrian measures in great detail, and legally speaking, this seems a clear-cut case," said Margot Wallstrom, the environment commissioner. "The commission can only reject the Austrian request."

Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth Europe said: "This is outrageous. The commission is saying that you can't take an area and call it a GM-free zone in order to protect wildlife and protect organic farming."

In the UK, many local authorities in England have done just that or are about to do so.

Campaigners in Britain claimed, however, that they are using different legal arguments to Upper Austria, and are seeking to impose a de facto ban by prohibiting individual crops. "The Austrian ruling won't affect what we're trying to do," said Clare Oxborrow of FoE UK.