PARIS -- The French government on Thursday became the first in Europe to order the outright destruction of rapeseed crops that included genetically modified (GM) material.
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin's office said in a statement 600 hectares wre planted with the seed in France. Rapeseed is called canola in North America.
Checks had shown up a relatively small proportion of GM seeds -- about one percent of the total quantity -- and at least one strain of herbicide-resistant rapeseed.
"After careful examination of the case and immediate ways of remedying the situation, the government decided to call on the groups involved to proceed with the destruction of the rapeseed plants," it said.
The decision followed the news last week that seed company Advanta had sold seeds imported from Canada containing traces of GM material -- still highly controversial in Europe -- to farmers in France, Britain, Germany, and Sweden by mistake.
Advanta is part of a 50-50 venture between Anglo-Swedish group AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L) and Dutch cooperative Cosun.
Regional cooperative COOPAGRI Bretagne, whose farmers planted around half of the contaminated crops in France, said it had planned to destroy the crops in any case.
"As a question of principle, this decision satisfies us," said Gerard Maillot, deputy director of the cooperative.
Maillot said the cooperative would try to reach an amicable agreement with Advanta's French office regarding compensation.
In a statement, Advanta France said it considered the government's decision "out of proportion" but was ready to fully cooperate with authorities and distributors "in order to best preserve their interests and those of the farmers affected."
This echoed the government statement, which did not explicitly mention compensation, but said the interests of the farmers concerned would be protected.
It added that inquiries were continuing to determine responsibility and to "prevent a recurrence of such anomalies."
The French move was the most drastic response by any European country since the mishap came to light last week. Sweden on Wednesday ordered GM rapeseed crops sown this year to be destroyed by July 7 unless farmers obtained special permits.
French officials had initially said there was no legal basis for destroying the crops affected because the level of contamination was below one percent.
Anti-GM campaigners slammed that response, saying it was at odds with the so-called precautionary principle, a policy championed by France which allows countries to curb products even if they have not been scientifically proven to cause harm.
Left-wing farmers' union Confederation Paysanne on Thursday praised the government's decision to rip out the plants, calling in addition for a ban on seed imports from countries which grow transgenic crops because of potential contamination risks.
Environmental group Greenpeace said the accident highlighted the danger that other types of seed could be contaminated. The group said on Thursday that up to 15 percent of this year's EU maize crop includé GM material.
"Today, some 300,000 hectares of maize could be contaminated in France," Greenpeace France director Bruno Rebelle said in a statement.
Oilseeds producer lobby FOP said the destruction of the crops would ease public concerns, but it was worried that innocent farmers would pay the price for the debacle.
"We are satisfied that this decision was taken if it unblocks the situation, but that doesn't mean we are jumping for joy," said a spokesman for the lobby.
