By Michael Hogan

Germany wants European Union member states to have the power to block
genetically-modified crops in their countries, Agriculture Minister Horst
Seehofer said on Wednesday.
Currently the EU Commission, the bloc's executive arm, takes the decision
whether genetically modified organisms (GMO) are safe and has
controversially approved several GMO crops for commercial farming.

But some EU states including France and Austria have announced bans on
cultivation of EU-approved GMO crops because of continuing concern about the
safety of GM foods.

'I believe that the EU member states should be able to decide themselves
whether they actually want cultivation in their areas,' Seehofer said.

The EU should continue to rule on whether GMO seeds can be used but should
leave member states to decide whether they should actually be grown, he
said.

Seehofer said he has been under pressure to introduce GMO bans in
environmentally sensitive areas of Germany but said it would not be legally
possible to ban crops which have been approved by the EU.

The legality of bans in other countries was questionable, he said.

'Germany is a country in which laws are obeyed. I find it very difficult to
explain when people ask me why we do not do the same as the French or the
Austrians and simply ban GMO cultivation in areas where there are
reservations about this.'

In Germany, Seehofer said he would give power to decide on GMO cultivation
to small local government authorities rather than taking decisions at
federal or state level.

'They make decisions about real estate developments, industrial zones and
infrastructure.

They should also be able to make decisions about cultivation.'
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