However, the legislation, expected to come into force in the next few months would give national governments flexibility on whether GM crops, which had been approved as safe, were grown on their territory.
The United Kingdom government believes British farmers should be allowed the choice to grow GMs though the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales oppose GM crops.
The UK government has argued that Europe risks being left behind the rest of the world unless it adopts GM crops but France has remained adamantly opposed.
A Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) spokesman said, “We are supportive of the opportunities GM could bring for British businesses and our environment and want our farmers to have access to the best technology available.
“It is an improvement on the current situation offering greater flexibility for each country to make its own decisions.”
Environmental lobby group Greenpeace said it was concerned the rules would “grant biotech companies the power to negotiate with elected governments and excludes the strongest legal argument to ban GM crops – evidence of environmental harm”.
Friends of the Earth senior food campaigner Clare Oxborrow said it was a double-edged sword because it could allow nations such as Scotland and Wales to ban GMs but open the door to GM crops being grown in England.
“Successive UK governments have consistently championed GM crops and food – despite the fact that this technology has been hugely overhyped and delivered little.
“GM crops are not the solution to the food and farming challenges we face.
“Instead of continuing to back this technology, UK ministers should give their support to resilient and sustainable systems that boost our health, economy and environment.”
Only one GM crop – Monsanto’s insect-resistant maize variety MON810 for animal feed – was being grown commercially in the EU, mainly in Spain and Portugal.
Another seven GM varieties were in the pipeline and could be in fields as early as next year.
In the UK, no GM crops were being grown commercially but Rothamsted Research was testing whether GM camelina plants could produce omega-3 oils.
The Soil Association warned the use of GM crops in the United States had led to huge problems with resistant weeds and an increase in pesticides.
The EU law said bans could be founded on the aims of environmental policy, town and country planning, land use, agricultural policy, public policy or possible socio-economic impacts.
Further possible grounds could include preventing GM contamination of other products, persistent scientific uncertainty, development of pesticide resistance among weeds and pests or lack of data on the potential negative impacts of a GM variety.
Member states should also ensure GM crops do not contaminate other products and particular attention should be paid to preventing cross-border contamination, for instance by implementing “buffer zones” with neighbouring countries, members of the EU Parliament (MEP) said.
Belgian MEP Frederique Ries, who steered the legislation through parliament, said the law would leave the ultimate decision to grow GM crops to individual member states.
It gave a clear process for the authorisation of GM crops at EU level, with improved safeguards and a key role for the European Food Safety Authority.
UK Farmers Weekly
