Syngenta AG said the European food industry stands to lose out if EU
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas succeeds in blocking the
company's genetically modified corn Bt 11 from being cultivated in
Europe.
A spokesman from the agri-food group told Thomson Financial News that
such corn is already being grown in the US and imported in the EU, and
that farmers in Europe would be at a disadvantage if the plan to grow
the crop here is blocked.

He also pointed out that Dimas had made his decision based on recent
scientific studies, which have not passed through the key European Food
Safety Authority.

For now, the group will await the final decision from the commission, as
the spokesman pointed out that Dimas' is still a proposal.

Dimas earlier publicly confirmed for the first time his refusal to
authorise the cultivation of two varieties of genetically modified corn
in the EU.

Dimas said the risk to the environment is too high, based on several
recent scientific studies.

Besides proposing to reject the request from Syngenta, he is also
proposing to reject US company EI Du Pont de Nemours & Co unit Pioneer's
request to grow GM corn 1507.

www.checkbiotech.org