The German press has reported that the country's environment ministry is hoping for a complete ban on GM crops. The environment ministry is supported by Germany's agriculture ministry in its opposition to the acutely controversial agricultural package.

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The only GM crop type currently licensed for production in the EU is banned in Germany, as well as in EU agricultural powerhouse France and six other member states. Though the legality of these measures has been challenged, the German government has expressed hope that the compromise measures agreed in the European Parliament on Tuesday will offer more security for states wishing to avoid GM agriculture.

However, a communiqué from environment minister Barbara Hendricks, seen by newspaper Süddeutsche, suggests that German officials want to close loopholes that they feel could allow GM to enter the country under other pretexts. "Green genetic engineering has been proven to be the wrong track," Hendricks told the paper. "It is risky for nature and the environment and consumers do not want it. I would like for EU rules to guarantee that Germany can remain GM-free."

Under the new rules, which were passed by a large margin in voting yesterday, member states will theoretically be allowed to opt out of growing GM crops once they have passed the authorisation process, though farmers in other EU countries will be allowed to plant crops that have been approved by the Commission. However, Greens in the German Bundestag have warned that the widely reviled TTIP trade treaty between the United States and EU could potentially threaten any national bans on GM crops.

In the UK, government documents seen by the Guardian show clear support for GM crops in the country, though the devolved governments of Wales and Scotland have pledged to remain GM-free.

Reacting to the Parliament vote on Tuesday, Green food safety spokesperson Bart Staes said, "This new scheme will ease the way for GMOs in Europe, whilst failing to respond to the need to address the flawed EU procedure for authorising GMOs. Despite a majority of EU member states and citizens being consistently opposed to GMOs, the real purpose of this new scheme is to make it easier to wave through EU authorisations of GM crops."