Highlights: Eight of
Austria's nine Federal States have passed biotechnology
precautionary bills to protect their organic and small-scale
agricultural sector with the ninth State implementing
precautionary measures in its Environmental Act. Three
Austrian ordinances still ban the
planting of all EU-approved biotech crops. In addition, the
Austrian Ministry of Health issued
a government ordinance to implement a marketing ban on
Monsanto's GT73 oilseed rape.
The Austrian Government used its EU presidency during the
first half of 2006 to generate
wide discussion on agricultural biotechnology amongst EU
countries. Two big conferences on
green biotechnology were hosted by Austria in 2006. Austria
remains hostile to biotech
crops.
Full report:
http://www.fas.usda.gov/gainfiles/200608/146208589.pdf
