WTO Rules Against EU Biotech Ban

Ronald Bailey | February 7, 2006

Reuters reports that the World Trade Organization has issued a 1000 page confidential ruling against the European Union's moratorium on importing biotech crops. To wit:

The World Trade Organization, in a closely watched ruling, decreed on Tuesday that the European Union and six member states broke trade rules by barring entry to genetically modified crops and foods, diplomats said.

The diplomat also told Reuters:

"Members' safeguard measures have also been condemned," he said in reference to the complaint against individual market and import bans imposed by France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Luxembourg and Greece.

This evidently means that the WTO has rejected anti-biotech regulations based on the unscientific precautionary principle.

This is good news for the world's farmers, the world's consumers, and the poor.