The European Commission has granted import licenses for two biotech corn products.  They are from Monsanto and include a glyphosate tolerant corn and a maize hybrid.  South Dakota Corn Grower’s President Keith Alverson is encouraged by the approval and says it bodes well for future biotech approvals in Europe.  He says the E.U. has been a difficult area to get biotech approved and this recent step is a breakthrough of sorts.

Alverson says this recent biotech approval should help U.S. negotiators as they work out the T-TIP trade deal with the European Union as this is a key trade issue.

Both of the Monsanto corn products have already received positive safety assessments by the EU Food Safety Authority.