Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Angela Smith has outlined Northern Ireland’s policy on the cultivation of GM crops.

The Minister said: "We will take a precautionary step-by-step approach to GM regulation. Our primary concern has been, and will continue to be, to safeguard human health and the environment. We will ensure that GM products are safe and provide consumer choice through labelling – but ultimately it will be for farmers and consumers to decide whether they want GM crops and food.

"Throughout the UK, GM crops will be considered on a case-by-case basis and consumers will have choice through mandatory labelling of GM products. Measures to facilitate the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops will be developed in partnership with the other UK administrations and we shall explore, through consultation, the possibility of voluntary GM-free zones.

"We shall also be discussing with colleagues in the Irish Government the cross-border implications of GM crop cultivation, co-existence and voluntary GM-free zones."

The Minister’s comments followed a statement in Parliament by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Margaret Beckett, announcing that the only sensible approach is to assess each GM crop on an individual case-by-case basis, while recognising that people have legitimate concerns about GM crops which need to be addressed.

However, no GM crop can be grown in the European Union unless it has specifically been approved for release under Directive 2001/18/EC.

Under this Directive each crop is subjected to a comprehensive assessment of the possible risks to human health and the environment, on the basis of the scientific evidence.

Decisions to approve or reject individual crops are taken collectively by EU Member States and the Commission.

Environmental groups opposed to genetically modified crops have called for an all-island ban on the growing of GM crops.

From April, new European regulations on traceability and labelling and food and feed will come into force which will require food or feed products which contains any approved GM material or derivative to be labelled.

The exception is where such presence accidental or unavoidable in which case a threshold of 0.9% will apply.

(SP)