On January 13, 2015, the European Parliament approved legislation to allow individual member states the right to restrict or ban the cultivation of bioengineered crops within their own borders, even if their cultivation is permitted at the EU level. Tabled since 2010 because of disagreements among various interested parties, the legislation was finally approved by a vote of 480 to 159.
Under the new law, the European Food Safety Authority ("EFSA") will still assess bioengineered crops for health and environmental risks, but member states have the authority to ban such crops on other grounds, such as land planning, socioeconomic, and farm policy objectives. Member states may impose a ban unilaterally or negotiate particular restrictions with affected crop producers. The legislation also includes provisions to help prevent cross-product and cross-border contamination by bioengineered crops. The new law goes into effect this spring.
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