Overview of the current status of genetically modified plants in Europe as compared to the USA

Genetically modified crops have been tested in 1,726 experimental releases in the EU member states and in 7,815 experimental releases in the USA. The global commercial cultivation area of genetically modified crops is likely to reach 50 million hectares in 2001, however, the commercial production of genetically modified crops in the EU amounts to only a few thousand hectares and accounts for only some 0.03 percnt; of the world production. A significant gap exists between the more than fifty genetically modified crop species already permitted to be cultivated and to be placed on the market in the USA, Canada and other countries and the five genetically modified crop species permitted for the same use in the EU member states, which are still pending inclusion in the Common Catalogue of agricultural plant species. The further development of the «green gene technology» in the EU will be a matter of public acceptance and administrative legislation.