Repeal repelled

OXFORD - Bans on the use of genetically modified maize by Austria and Luxembourg are still in place after the European Union's Regulatory Committee failed to support a repeal of the bans sought by the European Commission. EC officials had attempted to win the support of the regulatory committee by giving it a preview of the findings of the experts panel charged with elaborating a draft protocol for monitoring insect resistance to Bt corn. But scientific advisers from Austria, Luxembourg and Greece opposed the Commission plan, while the Belgian, Danish, French and Irish members abstained.

Austria and Luxembourg have cited Article 16 of the deliberate release directive 90/220/EEC, which allows countries to provisionally restrict or prohibit the use and/or sale of approved genetically modified products if doubts regarding risk to human health or the environment exist. Under the European Union's rules, the issue will now be put to European environment ministers, who will next meet in June...