[img_assist|nid=245|title=|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=43]On 6 March, BASF announced that there would be no commercial cultivation of the GM potatoe Amflora - while a few weeks ago the company with acting as if getting the required aproval for planting was immanent.
In the middle of February, the agricultural ministers who had already in 2007 failed to find a qualified majority voted again but did not find a sufficient majority in favour or against an approval, so that it is now up to the EU Commission to take their own decission. However, Germany - the country where the potato is supposed to be grown - in February voted against it, and shortly after that a German was reported to have stated in a parliamentarian commission meeting that Germany would evoke the safeguard clause 23 to stop a cultivation. Last year German officials where much more forthcoming when the BVL granted a 60 ha 'fieldtrial' for the production of seed potatoess.
Now BASF announced that it would be to late to plant for this season.