[img_assist|nid=168|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=43]After BASF stopped plans to test GM potatoes in Ireland because of restrictive conditions for the field trial, the chair of EuropaBio asks countries who refuse GM products to leave the European Union.

According to a newspaper article, Hans Kast, chairman of EuropaBio, the lobby organisation of the biotechnology industry in Europe, said they could not accept a situation where countries refused to take safe products.
"They should get out of the EU and say we want to be on our own," he said.

Of course one could argue that a field trial can be considered a 'safe product' or why local environmental authorities have the right and the obligation to set conditions for field trials.

But the most amazing part is the apparent ignorance that the chair of EuropaBio displays about the fact that currently more then 170 regions and provinces in Europe have declared themselves GM free regions. EuropBio is very well aware of this fact - if not then one should wonder about the professionality of this lobby organisation.

Kast manages to ignore the fact that for example in Greece all provinces have declared themselves GMfree, or that Austria - currently president of the EU - also has legislation for GM free regions in place. Kicking out all countries where somebody puts up restrictions agains GM crops would make EuropaBio's pretty small indeed...