German coalition cautiously favorable on GMOs

HAMBURG (Reuters) - Germany's incoming government drew mixed responses on Monday to its cautiously-favorable policy toward genetically-modified organisms (GMOs).

The incoming coalition between the conservative and pro-business liberal parties which won Germany's parliamentary elections in September announced its core policies over the weekend which included a statement in overall favor of GMO crops if they are found to be safe.

Germany's ban on commercial production of GMO maize of type MON 810 imposed in April this year would remain in force and the new government would await the outcome of legal action against the ban by its producer, U.S. biotech giant Monsanto, the policy agreement from the new government said.

But the new government would support both commercial and research cultivation of the GMO potato Amflora developed by Germany's BASF. The previous government approved research trials only on Amflora earlier this year.

"Biotechnology presents an important future sector for research, business and agriculture which is already established worldwide," the agreement said. "So we want to use the potential of biotechnology which can be used responsibly."

Individual German state governments would be given more power to introduce their own rules compelling minimum gaps between GMO and non-GMO crops.

The GMO agreement was attacked by environmental group Greenpeace, which said the new coalition wanted to push forward cultivation of GMO maize and other crops in Germany.

"The majority of the population has for decades rejected genetic technology in agriculture," said Greenpeace spokesman Stefan Krug.

The policy was welcomed by the giant association of German farming cooperatives DRV. "I am pleased that the coalition has declared itself behind the 'responsible' use of biotechnology," said DRV president Manfred Nuessel.

"This will make a useful contribution to the freedom of choice and use of this technology."

The coalition also said it would introduce new rules and measuring procedures to make the European Union's zero-tolerance policy on imports of non-approved GMOs more workable in practice.

German and other EU importers say they cannot currently buy U.S. soybeans because they are tainted with tiny residues of GMO maize not approved in the EU. [ID:nLM636606]

(Reporting by Michael Hogan; Editing by Nigel Hunt)