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Agricultural Biotechnology in C entral and E astern E urope: Determinants of Cultivation Bans
Author(s) -
Tosun Jale
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
sociologia ruralis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.005
H-Index - 84
eISSN - 1467-9523
pISSN - 0038-0199
DOI - 10.1111/soru.12046
Subject(s) - agriculture , ideology , politics , member states , political science , agricultural biotechnology , international trade , business , european union , agricultural science , microbiology and biotechnology , law , biology , ecology
By the joining of the E uropean U nion ( EU ), the C entral and E astern E uropean states had to align their agricultural biotechnology regulations to EU standards. In some cases, this meant the adoption of stricter regulations such as for the co‐existence of genetically modified organisms ( GMOs ) and conventional crops. In other cases, harmonisation with EU rules entailed the need to give up more restrictive national regulation, for example: to allow the cultivation of a limited number of GMOs . This article examines why some C entral and E astern E uropean states joined the group of W estern E uropean countries that instituted bans on the commercial cultivation of GMOs in the EU . This study contributes to the literature in two ways. First, it contends that the prohibition of the commercial cultivation of GMOs in some C entral and E astern E uropean member states must be interpreted in light of the EU ‐wide public and political contestation of GMOs . Second, this piece of research shows that the ideological composition of governments matters in explaining the regulation of agricultural biotechnology. This second contribution allows for going beyond the predominant focus on public opinion when analysing the regulation of GMOs in the EU .