GM soybean rejected by EU member states

The EU Minister of Agriculture meeting failed to reach a consensus on whether to agree to the release of Monsanto's genetically modified RoundupReady2 soybean. According to EU law, the European Commission will immediately determine the fate of this herbicide-resistant soybean. The European Independent Scientific Agency-European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that this soybean "is unlikely to have any adverse effects on human and animal health or the environment." Based on the consistent support of the EFSA assessment, the European Commission is expected to give green light to this new type of soybean.

In the voting, no specific majority of member states favored or opposed the soybean's authorization. Britain, Spain, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Finland voted in favor, while Germany, France, and Italy voted abstained.