http://huknews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=displaynews&doc_id=NR20020321670.2_d3ba00058bf55394

German GM giant to exploit opening in Britain's relaxed environmental laws

17 March 2002

Bayer, the German chemicals and drugs giant, has struck a deal that allows 
it to move its genetically modified (GM) crop field-testing programme out 
of Germany and into Britain. The  strategy has highlighted the discrepancies
between environmental laws in different EC member countries, with the UK
figuring as among the most relaxed. Bayer's GM food strategy took a
huge step forward in the latter part of last year when the group
successfully won a EUR 7.25 bn (#4.5 bn) bid to buy the French GM food
group Aventis CropScience. Apart from being the biggest deal in Bayer's
corporate history, the acquisition - expected to receive regulatory
approval within weeks - turns the German group into the world's largest
GM food company. But Bayer's purchase coincides with a major tightening
of German environmental laws. Under significant domestic pressure from a
strong green lobby, the German government is on the brink of finalising
legislation that would ban all field-tests of GM crops in the country.
But Aventis  CropScience has already organised a series of 66 field
tests through the UK in the course of 2002, producing data that will
now come directly to Bayer.