USDA/FAS GAIN report SP5021

Biotechnology developments in Spain

The Spanish inter-ministerial biotechnology commission (composed of the Ministries of Environment, Agriculture, Health, Education and Science, and Industry, Tourism and Trade) took the following positive decisions at its July 13, 2005 meeting:

• Monsanto’s application to permit cultivation in Spain of the NK603 Roundup Ready corn variety will be transferred to the European Commission (EC) with a positive risk evaluation.
• The Director of the Spanish Food Safety Agency will defend this decision before the European Food Safety Agency.
• The Ministry of Agriculture was given the authority to approve new varieties derived from MON810.
• The inter-ministerial commission reportedly agreed to continue case-by-case decisions with respect to future Spanish votes on EC biotechnology proposals.

We believe this is great news for Monsanto, for biotechnology, for Spanish farmers, and for U.S. farmers. Clearly, this is a move back to a science-based decision-making process — something we have been encouraging the Government of Spain to do at each opportunity during its first year of governance.