Scientists find France ban is pointless (update 1)
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The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an opinion which shows that France's ban on GM maize is unjustified. "No specific scientific evidence, in terms of risk to human and animal health and the environment, was provided that would justify the invocation of a safeguard clause," the EFSA said.

Should anyone care? The science director of EFSA, Europe's top food safety agency, recently resigned in disgust.

"They just don't take one answer for granted", said Herman Koëter, the ex-science director. "The European Commission is ... endlessly doubting our judgements and asking for further new research."

According to Sybille de La Hamaide, Reuters' indefatigable reporter in France, diplomats said that the EC will consider the EFSA's opinion and will very likely order France to lift its ban. If the EC ordered removal of the ban and France chose to oppose it, the opinion of the EFSA could provide information for further legal moves.

The EFSA GMO Panel also concluded that the cultivation of maize Bt11 and 1507 were safe. The panel had rendered such an opinion nearly four years ago, but the EC came back with eleven more scientific publications and several peer-reviewed papers which it felt might change the opinion. The EFSA found none of the writings would "invalidate the former risk assessments".

This prompted Greenpeace, a multinational funded by the Netherlands government, to demand that the EFSA be banned from issuing opinions.

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