European shares were little changed at opening yesterday, keeping within their recent range, as investors awaited developments in Greek debt talks.

China has suspended the import approval process for a genetically-modified soybean variety, citing "low public acceptance" of GMO food, according to two sources.

Losses of managed honey bee colonies in the US totalled 23.2% last winter, according to a report by the US Department of agriculture.

Ireland is to introduce a new registration and training regime for sprayer operators to comply with EU pesticide regulations.

The European Commission is to ban for two years beginning in December, pesticides blamed for killing the bees that pollinate food and fruit crops.

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It is said to be 70,000 times more toxic than DDT to bees, with a coating on each seed to kill 200,000. Europe correspondent Ann Cahill reports on the EU ban on neonicotinoid pesticide

Three insecticides blamed for killing huge numbers of bees and endangering food crops throughout the world will be partially banned by the EU.

France, the European Union’s largest agricultural producer, plans to ban Syngenta AG’s Cruiser insecticide for some uses after the national food- security agency said a study showed adverse effects on honeybees.

France’s Agriculture Ministry has asked the country’s food-security and environment agency to study revoking approval of Syngenta’s Cruiser insecticide following research on the pesticide’s toxicity to honeybees.

SIX genetically-modified (GM) maize varieties were authorised by the European Commission last week for food and feed use, but not for cultivation.

HIGH rates of two triazole fungicides — cyproconazole and propiconazole — plus the anti-resistance fungicide chlorothalonil, are included in the new Cherokee cereal fungicide from Syngenta.

THE new chairman of the Animal and Plant Health Association (APHA), the representative body for manufacturers and distributors of animal and plant health products, is Philip Howlin.

Ireland: The EU is expected to halt all imports of US animal feed after it was discovered that an unauthorised GM maize variety has found its way onto the market.

THE five-and-a-half-year ban on GM foods in the EU was officially ended yesterday with the decision by Commissioner David Byrne to allow the importation of canned GM sweet corn.

The European Union lifted its six-year moratorium on GM products today by approving imports of an insect-resistant strain of sweet corn for human consumption.

A five-and-a-half-year European ban on the use of genetically-modified crops is expected to be lifted today.

The European Union’s head office said today it would approve a variety of genetically modified corn for human consumption next week, ending a six-year biotech moratorium that the United States has challenged at the World Trade Organisation.

One variety of genetically-modified corn will be approved by the EU next week ending a six-year moratorium on new biotech crops that the United States has challenged at the World Trade Organisation.

EU farm ministers were deadlocked today on lifting a six-year ban on new biotech crops, failing to muster a majority for or against the sale of a genetically-modified sweetcorn variety.

EU governments were today given 90 days to decide on lifting their five-year-old moratorium on GM foods.