EU extends ban on Egyptian seeds

The European Union is extending its temporary ban on importing certain kinds of Egyptian seeds to Europe until the end of March 2012, according to a report on Europolitics website.

The Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health made the decision on 17 October, cited 'insufficient' safety procedures in seed production.

In July, the EU temporarily banned the import of some seeds from Egypt until 31 October after some were linked to a deadly E.coli outbreak in Germany and France.

A firm response from the Egyptian authorities said that local seeds had tested negative for E. coli contamination, proving the country's produce was not responsible for the deadly outbreak.

The Ministry of Agriculture also said that Germany had sent an official letter confirming that Egypt was not responsible. The ban was, however, not lifted.