France refuses to grow genetically altered crops.

[Croft Woodruff]

EU court fines France 10 million euros over genetically altered crops

The Associated Press

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

BRUSSELS, Belgium: An EU court has ordered France to pay a €10 million (US$12.85 million) fine over a six-year refusal to implement European rules on growing genetically altered crops.

France had repeatedly refused to apply a 2002 EU law that set out rules by which biotech crops could be planted in areas where other conventional crops were grown. France argued it could not adopt the rules because of violent anti-GMO demonstrations. The EU court rejected those arguments. France has applied the law since July.

The Luxembourg-based court says France's conduct was "unlawful" and said Tuesday's ruling should act as a warning to others that ignoring EU regulations has a price.

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Croft Woodruff PhD

"It should be obvious that action without wisdom, without clear awareness of the world as it really is, can never improve anything."  ~ Theodore Roszak

"Woe to the man who tries to remain objective and to maintain a wide perspective: every one will label him as an enemy." ~ Paul Tournier

"If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny." - Thomas Jefferson