News that Northern Ireland will follow Scotland in banning GM crops under new EU rules has been welcomed by the SNP. Northern Ireland’s Environment Minister, Mark Durkan, has taken the decision to ban the cultivation of GM crops citing the need to protect the environment and Northern Ireland’s green reputation.

This follows the decision last week of France and last month of Germany, to use the same EU rules to ban GM crops. The Scottish Government took the decision in August to restate its precautionary approach to the cultivation of GM crops in Scotland to protect Scotland’s clean, green status.