Europe tells France to scrap GM ban

Europe's highest court on Thursday ruled that France acted illegally when it imposed a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified maize in 2008.

Getty Images/Digital Vision/Lawrence Lawry

French authorities imposed a moratorium on GM crops developed by US biotech giant Monsanto after vocal opposition to the "Frankenfoods" by environmental campaigners.

The European Court of Justice said France did have the right to impose a moratorium but based it on the wrong EU legislation.

France reacted to the ruling by declaring that its embargo on Monsanto corn was still valid and it would restart the procedure if needed.

Environment Minister Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet defended the ban, saying that “there have still not been any answers to the environmental questions”.