"France Bolsters Ban on Genetically Modified Crops"

"France is to use a new European opt-out scheme to ensure a ban on the cultivation of genetically modified crops in the country remains in place, it said on Thursday.

The European Union's largest grain grower and exporter has asked the European Commission, the EU executive, for France to be excluded from some GM maize crop cultivation under the new scheme, the farm and environment ministries said in a joint statement.

The French environment ministry said separately it had passed legislation in the National Assembly to oppose cultivation of GM crops on the basis of certain criteria including environment and farm policy, land use, economic impact or civil order. "

Sybille de La Hamaide, Gus Trompiz, and Valerie Parent report for Reuters September 17, 2015.