Gene crops face new hurdles.

Focuses on the decision by European Union officials to toughen the policy on releasing genetically modified (GM) organisms into the environment. Rejection of a proposal by industry to allow 'low-risk' GM organisms; Testing system for approving GM products as safe; Proposal that the threshold for a product to be considered GM should be lowered; How this revision of the GM policy must go to the European Parliament for ratification, a process that will take years.