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France is still a long way from introducing legislation to transpose an EU directive on genetically modified (GM) crops into national law, in spite of a statement by President Jacques Chirac on October 21 that a draft law would be ready within 2 weeks.
Stephane Vaxelaire, a spokesman of the French Ministry of Agriculture, told The Scientist that draft legislation to transpose EU Directive 2001/18/EC, which covers the deliberate release into the environment of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), could not be expected until 2005.
Vaxelaire said that the government would wait for the report of a parliamentary inquiry before drafting legislation. The inquiry or "mission" to inform French deputies about the effects of GM crops began work last week and is due to present its conclusions in March or April 2005.
The EU directive introduces one of the strictest regulatory frameworks in the world for GM crops, including principles of a case-by-case risk assessment as well as a public register with lists of GMOs released for trials and commercial purposes. France and other EU member states should have transposed the EU directive into national law by 2002.
Christian Berdot from the French branch of the environmental organization Friends of the Earth (Amis de la Terre) said the new EU directive failed to protect the environment but that it was a significant improvement on the previous situation.
The debate about new legislation on GM crops comes at a time when public opinion in France—as elsewhere in Europe—remains hostile to GM foods. Polls show that up to 70% of people in France are opposed to GM crops. In July, anti-GM campaigners tore up a field of experimental maize south of Toulouse.
Vaxelaire said that 22 of 46 GM field trials being conducted in France had been destroyed by anti-GM campaigners so far this year. "In 2004, half the field trials were destroyed. This is very destructive form of protest. Researchers find it hard. All the companies are scared," he said.
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