Spreading even where there is no advantage

Scientists in the US have used mathematical models to calculate the gene flow from crops to wild relatives. They have concluded that crop gene… more

“Gene flow is a biological principle and does not constitute damage”

Using mathematical models, American scientists have calculated that genes from cultivated plants can spread to wild populations within a few g… more

Coexistence: Guidelines for GM crop production

(23 July) The European Commission’s coexistence guidelines have been published, and many questions remain unanswered. The Commission aim… more

Kiel goes first

(11 July) Today in the Bundesrat the regional government of Schleswig-Holstein proposed a bill amending the Genetic Engineering Act. According… more

Bundestag decides on new responsibilities

With the votes of the coalition parties the Bundestag today passed a law transferring responsibilities within genetic engineering law on se… more

Agreement on GMO labelling

(2 July) The European Parliament has today agreed a comprehensive package of legislation on the labelling and traceability of genetically modi… more

Potato field destroyed

On the night of 23 June a trial field with genetically modified potatoes on the Roggenstein estate near Munich was destroyed. The field was to… more

When earthworms eat Bt maize

Following various other organisms, it is now the turn of earthworms to be fed Bt maize. Swiss researchers wanted to know whether harmful effec… more

Biosafety Protocol enters into force

On 13 June the small Pacific nation of Palau became the fiftieth state to ratify the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. This triggered a 90-day … more

Luminescent bacteria

When the field trials began in September 1994 they aroused great public interest. Genetically modified bacteria were to be used in field trial… more

Labelling threshold: conflict unresolved

The European Parliament’s Environment Committee sticks to a GM labelling threshold of 0.5 percent. more

New responsibilities for plant genetic engineering

(12 May) From now on the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) and the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL) will… more

Yellow card for Germany

(10 April) Twelve out of 15 EU member states have failed to meet the deadline for transposing the new Deliberate Release Directive into nation… more

Bt maize versus the billion-dollar bug

The Western corn rootworm causes immense damage in the USA. It was introduced to Europe just 10 years ago and has been steadily extending its … more

No clear line on coexistence

(06 March) The European Commission intends to leave it largely up to individual member states to regulate the coexistence of genetically modif… more

GM wine causes a stir

It is an experiment: Since 1999 transgenic grapevines have been undergoing field-testing in the German wine-producing regions of Franken and P… more

Outcrossing: What of it?

Hybridisation between related plants is a biological principle. When genetically modified plants are involved, however, it tends to arouse sus… more