France said today that is disagreed with proposals by Commissioner John Dalli to open the EU market to GMO cultivation by allowing member states to decide individually on the issue.

Mr Dalli has said he would be officially making his proposals today although details have already been making the rounds in Brussels.

Indicating clearly that France would not be supporting Mr Dalli's proposals, French Agriculture Minister Bruno Le Maire said that his country has strong reservations about the proposal on breaking the deadlock on authorising genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

"We want decisions to continue to be made at a Community level, not the renationalisation of these decisions," the minister said.

"Any re-nationalisation of agricultural issues is a step in the wrong direction. Everything that increases solidarity, working together, imagination, innovation and daring is a move in the right direction," he added.

Spain, the biggest GM supporter in the EU and Belgium, have already spoken against Mr Dalli's initiative.

The Commission is proposing to give countries the option of banning GMO crops within their borders, but many member states have said that this was not a good idea as what happeedn in one country could affect the other.

Last March, just a few weeks after being appointed European Commissioner, Mr Dalli raised eyebrows among environmentalists, by lifting a 13-year ban on the cultivation of a GM potato, called Amflora, to be used for starch by industry.

His decision has been met with resistance by many member states and was harshly criticised by the anti-GM lobby, particularly environmental lobby groups.

On the other hand, the biotech industry is applauding the initiatives being taken by Mr Dalli, calling them ‘creative'.

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