France wants GM crops excluded from EU-US trade talks

The European Commission must not be allowed to include tight rules on genetically modified crops in free-trade talks with the United States, nor bargain with protections accorded to Europe's arts, a French government source said Wednesday.

"Certain things should not be a part of the negotiations," said the senior official speaking on condition of anonymity, citing "the exceptions accorded to the cultural sector, genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and health standards."