French Food Regulator Calls for Long-Term Study of Biotech Crops
Rudy Ruitenberg
Bloomberg News, October 22 2012
 http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-10-22/french-food-regulator-calls-for-long-term-study-of-biotech-crops

France's food-security authority Anses called for long-term research on the effect of genetically-modified crops, citing a limited number of studies on the subject.

The agency said a French toxicity study of Monsanto Co. (MON)'s NK 603 corn, a variety tolerant to the pesticide Roundup, didn't put into question the crop's regulatory approval. Anses found only two other feeding studies of biotech crops associated with pesticides that tracked animals over their entire lifespan, it wrote in an online statement today.

"Anses recommends starting studies and research on the long-term effect of GMOs associated with phytopharmaceutical preparations," the agency wrote. "This work should be done in the framework of public financing and on the basis of precise research protocols."

The French government remains committed to a moratorium in the country on genetically-modified crops approved for growing in the European Union, the Agriculture, Environment and Health Ministries wrote today in a reaction to the Anses statement.

France is seeking an overhaul of the EU framework for evaluation, authorization and control of genetically modified organisms and pesticides, according to the government statement.