US biotech giant Monsanto is suing Germany over its decision to
ban genetically modified corn, saying it is arbitrary and goes
against EU regulations. On Wednesday, Monsanto confirmed a
report in the Handelsblatt newspaper that it had filed a suit in
a court in the northern German city of Braunschweig, aiming to
overturn the ban on GM corn. Monsanto is hoping for a decision
by mid May, which would allow it to plant GM seed this spring,
according to Handelsblatt. Last Tuesday, German Agriculture
Minister Ilse Aigner announced a ban on planting genetically
modified Monsanto corn type MON 810. She cited studies which,
she said, show the corn is dangerous for the environment,
specifically Monarch butterflies and other insects. The seeds
contain a gene, which protects the corn against a pest, the
European corn borer butterfly. The MON 810 strain is the only
genetically modified crop approved in the European Union and was
approved for commercial use in the EU in 1998. The European Food
Safety Authority has said the