Germany is planning to impose a ban on cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops even if the European Union (EU) has approved the varieties as safe for consumption.
German Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt has informed that the country will implement the ban under the new EU rules that allow member states and administrations to restrict the cultivation of GMOs within their territory.
Approved in March, the EU rules specify that the GMO crops must be formally authorized before they can be cultivated, reported Reuters.
Though GMO crops are widely grown in the Americas and Asia, European countries have a mixed opinion about their cultivation.
Britain supports the cultivation of GMO crops, while France and Germany oppose.
Previously, when the EU approved GM crops as safe, all the EU states had to allow the cultivation of these crops.
Recently, Scotland announced plans to ban the cultivation of GM crops in a bid to protect the region's clean, green status.
