No new crops have been approved for cultivation in the EU for a decade, none since the latest Directive came into force. Applications are stacking up in the assessment system even as some EU Member States introduce unilateral bans on GM crops that have previously been approved and GM field trials are vandalised. Europe’s approach to the technology is once again under the spotlight.

The project consortium is conducting a detailed survey of 27 Member State governments, an open electronic survey of stakeholders from around Europe, and interviews with government officials, biotech companies, farming groups, researchers, NGOs and others. The information gathered in these consultations will provide the European Commission with an independent evidence-base on the current situation regarding Directive 2001/18/EC and Regulation 1829/2003 as they apply to cultivation of GM crops.