Belgium Orders Field Of Genetically Modified Rapeseed Destroyed

By Agence France-Presse Belgium has ordered the destruction of a field of genetically modified rapeseed belonging to Franco-German agrochemical giant Aventis because it has failed to follow proper procedure, the health ministry said June 18. Aventis has until June 22 to destroy the experimental field in the southern city of Salles "because it is not respecting the conditions imposed in the authorization it was granted last March," the ministry said in a statement. In Belgium genetically modified rapeseed must be grown at least 1,000 meters (1,000 yards) from fields of "normal" rapeseed to avoid contamination. The Aventis field lies just 800 meters away from a non-modified rapeseed field. "Therefore, the authorization is no longer valid and the field must be destroyed," the ministry said. Aventis also must pay for the non-modified rapeseed field to be destroyed as a precautionary measure. Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2002