Poland: Seeds Act rejected

The Polish president sends the controversial Seed Act legalising GM crops in Poland back to parliament. Last week the Polish president held consultations with experts, whether to sign the Seed Act or not, which had been passed by both houses of parliament, Dorota Metera (Bioekspert) reports. As the president consulted with a team of scientists and legal experts, protesters of numerous Polish organisations gathered outside the Presidential Palace chanting "No to GMO".

Main critics of the seed bill maintain that a key phrase in the bill, which unilaterally disallows GM seeds in Poland, was taken out, leaving the law ambiguous in the matter. Komorowski said later he lamented the fact that there had been little or no public debate before concerning the law in Poland.
 

Acting under big public pressure, the Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski has vetoed a bill legalising genetically modified crops in Poland, saying that, contrary to its purpose, it did not make Polish GMO law compatible with European Union regulations. Poland is therefore required to bring its law up to speed with this ruling, but Mr Komorowski decided that the latest bill did not adequately do so. The bill will now be sent back to the Sejm, the lower house of Poland's parliament, so that it can be made compatible with EU requirements, the president said in an official statement on Wednesday. Opinion polls consistently show that the majority of Poles are opposed to GMOs.