Agence France Presse

Vote Moves EU Closer To Lifting GMO Ban

The European Commission said it wants the moratorium on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to be lifted "as soon as possible", following the European Parliament's adoption of a revised directive on GMOs. The commission is still drafting a directive on traceability and labelling of GMOs, which is expected to be completed in March or April, a spokeswoman said.

The commission would like to see the moratorium lifted as soon as possible thereafter, she said.

Six EU countries -- France, Italy, Greece, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Austria reaffirmed plans to maintain the moratorium introduced in June 1999 "pending progress in achieving complete traceability of GMOs and derived products," according to a French statement.

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