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Scottish National Party welcomes move

EXCERPT: [Rob Gibson, Member of the Scottish Parliament, said,] “There is now a growing number of governments across Europe that have followed the lead of Scotland on GM crops – and I would urge the UK Environment Secretary to heed the message from across the UK and Europe and also move to ban the cultivation of GM crops.”

Wales follows Scotland in banning GM crops

SNP, 1/10/2015
http://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2015/oct/wales-follows-scotland-banning-gm-crops

News that Wales will follow Scotland’s lead in banning the cultivation of GM crops has been welcomed by the SNP.

The Welsh Government’s decision follows similar action taken by Northern Ireland, France and Germany to use the same EU rules to ban GM crops. The Scottish Government was the first to announce its decision to restate its precautionary approach to the cultivation of GM crops in Scotland to protect Scotland’s clean, green status and the multi-billion food and drink sector that it supports.

Commenting, Rob Gibson MSP said:

“News that the Welsh Government is to join Northern Ireland, Germany and France in following Scotland's lead and banning the cultivation of GM crops is welcome news.

“In Scotland our food and drink sector recently broke the £14 billion mark for the first time and since 2008 has grown twice as fast as the sector in the UK as a whole.

“The Scottish Government’s decision to restate its long-standing precautionary approach to the cultivation of GM crops will protect our clean green reputation – allowing our valuable food and drink sector to continue its fantastic growth.

“There is now a growing number of governments across Europe that have followed the lead of Scotland on GM crops – and I would urge the UK Environment Secretary to heed the message from across the UK and Europe and also move to ban the cultivation of GM crops.”

Notes:

Wales’s notice to the European Commission on their GM crops ban can be found here: http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/gmo/new/authorisation/cultivation/geographical_scope_en.htm