Agrevo committed to R&D despite GM crop challenge
Date: 20-Sep-99
Country: UK
"Following legal advice, the government has decided not to contest the
judicial review of proceedings instigated by Friends of the Earth (FoE)
in respect of licensing of certain GM trials," Environment Minister
Michael Meacher had told a news conference.
"The statement made today involves a technical matter of interpretation
of the relevant legislation and remains an issue between the UK
government and Friends of the Earth," AgrEvo said in a statement.
"Agrevo remain committed to their ongoing programme of research and
development of this technology and believe that it has many benefits for
consumers, growers and the environment," it said.
FoE had sought a judicial review of a government decision to allow
AgrEvo, a joint venture between Germany's Hoechst AG and Schering AG ,
to switch one of its tests of GM rapeseed from spring to autumn
planting.
"We are accepting that on this point we acted illegally," Meacher said.
He described the issue as "a narrow technical matter" with no health,
safety or environmental implications.
Meacher said the government accepted it had made an error because the
law did not allow it to vary its consent and the company should have
made a fresh application.
"If a consent had been sought in the normal way I have no doubt it would
have been granted," Meacher said. He said the government programme of
farm-scale crop trials would continue.