Brazil Court Overturns
GM Soy Ruling

just-food.com 9sep03

[More on Monsanto]

A Brazilian court has reversed a ruling that had lifted a ban on the planting and sale of Monsanto's genetically modified soybeans.

In August, one of the federal tribunal's judges had lifted the injunction that prevents Monsanto from selling its GM Roundup Ready soybeans in Brazil.

However, following an appeal by Greenpeace and other anti-GM campaigners, the federal tribunal suspended the previous ruling, thereby re-imposing the ban on Monsanto's GM soybeans.

The Brazilian government is attempting to sort out its regulatory laws on GM crops before the start of the next planting season in October. A final decision on the legality of GM crops has yet to be made, but one of the judges said he would try to speed up the ruling, reported Reuters.

source: http://www.just-food.com/news_detail.asp?art=55309 10sep03

EU: Court Allows Italy, Other Countries to
Temporarily Ban GM Foods

just-food.com 9sep03

The European Union's high court has ruled that Italy and other EU member states can place temporary bans on genetically modified foods if they suspect the foods pose a threat to public health or the environment.

A European nation "can as a preventive measure ... temporarily restrict or suspend the marketing of those foods in its territory," the court was quoted by the Associated Press as saying. There should be no "relaxation of the safety requirements that must be met by novel foods."

The ruling stems from a dispute between the Italian government and biotech giant Monsanto.

The court ruled that Italy was entitled in August 2000 to ban certain foods, notably flour made from genetically modified maize, from Monsanto Europe, Syngenta AG and Pioneer Hi-Bred International.

The court added, however, that Italy must provide evidence of the suspected risks in order to sustain a ban, reported AP.

source: http://www.just-food.com/news_detail.asp?art=55312 9sep03