August 29, 2011

Poland rejects bill for GM seeds

On August 24, Poland's President Bronislaw Komorowski vetoed a bill that would permit some genetically modified seeds in the country, since it was contrary to EU rules, according to a Reuters report.

Poland currently forbids any GMO cultivation or sales on its soil and must align its legislation with the more lenient one of the EU after Warsaw lost a court case against Brussels on it.

However, Komorowski said the bill was faulty after parliament changed the government's original proposal significantly, finally approving a bill that still contradicted EU rules.

"If the parliament approves my veto, I will immediately propose a seeds bill that would not have the GMO element because we need a seeds bill," Komorowski said, adding he knew of no proof that GMO food could be dangerous for human health.

This is the second presidential veto of a law put forward by the centre-right government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who brought Komorowski to the presidency a year ago.