July 8/Brussels, Belgium/The International Herald Tribune -- After decades of pushing nations to surrender more power to the European Union, the bloc is pulling back on efforts to assert its authority over one highly contentious issue: genetically modified foods.
On Tuesday, the European Commission will formally propose giving back to national and local governments the freedom to decide whether to allow such crops. The new policy is aimed at overcoming a stalemate that has severely curtailed the market for biotech seeds in Europe. Only two types of those seeds, produced by the agricultural giant Monsanto and the chemical company BASF, are sold for cultivation in Europe.