Welsh victory as Bayer scraps GM maize plans

Biotech firm Bayer has shelved plans to commercialise its GM maize, Chardon LL, because the Government wants to impose conditions on its cultivation in order to protect the environment. Bayer said this would make Chardon LL "economically unviable".

Friends of the Earth Cymru has called the move a "victory for the Assembly and for devolution itself". Chardon LL, was given limited UK Government approval earlier this month but the Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament has obstructed its final addition to the UK National Seed List. Its withdrawal means that GM crops are unlikely to be grown in the UK until 2008 at the earliest.

Friends of the Earth Cymru's Director Julian Rosser commented,

"This is excellent news. This GM maize had serious question marks about its safety and performance and should never have been given UK approval. But this was ignored by Bayer and the UK Government in their blind rush to push GM on the public.

"It was only the steadfastness of the Welsh Assembly, which refused to rush the crop through on the nod, which has protected our environment and agriculture from GM contamination. This is a victory for the Assembly and for devolution itself. On the day that the Richard Commission reports on more powers for the Assembly it is becoming clear that devolution is delivering results.

"This episode will be acutely embarrassing to the UK Government but should be a badge of pride for Carwyn Jones and many others of all parties in the Assembly who have refused to be bounced into a GM Nation."