Is it possible to make a particular area GM free?
It has been suggested that conditions could be attached to GM crop approvals to ensure that they cannot be marketed either in the UK as a whole or in localised “GM free areas”. The relevant EU legislation works on the basis that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be marketed without restriction across the EU if all appropriate measures are taken to avoid adverse effects on human health and the environment. In principle, therefore, the only grounds for narrowing the geographical scope of a GM marketing consent would be if this were justified by some clear evidence identified in the risk assessment that the GMO in question poses a risk to a particular area. Under the EU rules, if a GMO was considered unsafe for commercial use in a large geographical area within the EU, it is highly likely that authorisation would be refused outright. It would be possible for all the farmers in a particular area to make a voluntary agreement not to grow GM crops. We set out possible guidance on thi
