Release No. 0112.15 Contact: Office of Communications (202)720-4623

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Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Expressing Concern with European Commission's Decision on Allowing Member States to Block Biotechnology

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2015 -- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement today regarding the European Union's decision to allow member states to block biotechnology crops for nonscientific reasons:

"The EU Commission's newest proposal to modify its biotech approval process would disable the EU single market and allow for Member State bans with absolutely no basis in science," said Vilsack. "This decision is a major step backwards. It allows for new trade barriers based on political factors, and it undermines the science-based approach to an important technology that should be the basis for trading partnerships between Europe and the U.S."

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