Plaid MEP Jill Evans has criticised the European Commission for once again putting off a decision on whether to ban new strains of genetically modified maize.

The controversy comes in the same week that anti GM campaigners in Wales criticised the National Assembly's Chief Scientific Adviser for making comments in support of GMOs in a Sunday newspaper interview. The National Assembly has a policy of keeping Wales GM free.

In Brussels the European Commission considered applications for the cultivation of strains of insect resistant GM maize and anti-GM campaigners were hopeful of a ban. But instead the Commission simply postponed the decision yet again, referring the matter back to the European Food Safety Agency.

Plaid MEP Jill Evans commented:

"With public opposition to GMOs as widespread as it is, I am disappointed that the European Commission has once again failed to act. They need to take a firm stance and stop the authorisation of new GMOs instead of shirking their responsibility.

"In Wales, Elin Jones, the Rural Affairs Minister, has reaffirmend that the government will take the most restrictive approach possible to GM crops. The Commission should take the precautionary principle seriously and implement it properly.

"The uncertainty among Commissioners and the unease of many governments over the risk assessment of GM products should be enough to justify a ban."

Diwedd/End.