The EU Court confirmed that member states have the right to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops.

On Thursday, the European Union's highest court ruled that EU member states have the right to ban the cultivation of genetically modified crops on their territory. Previously, an Italian farmer defied the country's ban and planted Monsanto's MON810 genetically modified corn. Italian authorities ordered the farmer to destroy the crops and imposed a fine of 50,000 euros. The farmer filed a lawsuit against the ban and the fine in an Italian court. The Italian court then sought legal advice from the EU court on whether the ban violated the principles of free movement of goods, freedom of establishment, and non-discrimination and proportionality. The EU court ruled that the ban did not violate EU law. The ban did not violate the principle of proportionality, nor did it discriminate against farmers in different EU member states. The court determined that the ban did not infringe on the principle of free movement of goods, as it did not prevent the importation of genetically modified products or restrict consumers from purchasing such products.