Reuters via Agnet 11/04

Syngenta CEO Michael Pragnell was cited as telling Reuters in an interview that European consumers will take years to accept genetically-altered products even if Brussels paves the way for their introduction, adding, "Here in Europe, I think it (market penetration of GM products) is going to be much slower (than in the Americas). What we have seen is progress in the regulatory framework, progress in the governmental level in terms of approval of the products but it will be slow and ... consumers will take time to accept these products. It will be years before they are fully accepted."

Pragnell was further cited as saying that the world's largest agrochemicals firm makes about three percent of its sales from GM products, with about 17 percent of its seeds being GM seeds, adding a large part of these products were sold in North America.

While initial steps have been made, diplomats say the acid test of whether the EU has lifted its biotech ban is when the bloc allows imports of live GM organisms (GMOs) as seed for planting in Europe.

"It is going to take a long time before we get cultivation (authorisation)," Pragnell told reporters.