On Wednesday (2nd January), the Polish government announced a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified crops. Poland joins France, Austria, Greece, Hungary, Luxembourg and Germany as Europe's seventh state to ban GM crops.

The move coincided with a fiercely pro-GM address delivered by British Environment secretary Owen Paterson at the Oxford Farming Conference, during which the Defra secretary called for support to promote the GM agenda on the European stage and moves to influence public opinion within Britain, where GM is still viewed with scepticism.

The Polish ban covers GM maize and potatoes; following BASF's withdrawal of its Amflora potato from sale in Europe at the beginning of 2012, Monsanto's MON810 maize is the only GM crop licensed for commercial production in the EU. Both crops are now banned in Poland.

Poland's government acted on Wednesday, taking advantage of a new 'safeguard clause,' allowing the government to circumvent an EU challenge. The EU's leading agricultural nation, France is currently under pressure over its decision to ban the controversial crops. The Polish government had pledged to ban GM crops in November, following the introduction of the new Seed Act, which allowed the sale of GM, effectively undoing an earlier ban.

The government cited the potential for cross-pollination and contamination of honey for its decision to outlaw the controversial crops, as well as a "lack of research supporting the safety of GM crops on the environment and human health."

According to Polish government figures, an estimated 3,000 ha are sown with MON810 maize, sold in the EU as Yieldgard. The new ban will come into effect on 28th January. Under new laws, farmers found to be violating the ban will receive heavy fines and may have the offending crops torn up.

Welcoming the move, Joanna Miś, a spokesperson for Greenpeace Poland, said, "The introduction of these regulations is our great success and gives us enormous satisfaction. For eight years, along with scientists and farmers, we encouraged successive Polish governments to take this step, providing evidence of the dangers of this technology. We are pleased that the government has kept their word."