Monsanto Company and KWS SAAT AG; Decision With Respect to the Petition for Partial Deregulation of Genetically Engineered Roundup Ready Sugar Beets

Résumé

We are advising the public of our decision to "partially deregulate" Roundup Ready[supreg] sugar beets developed by the Monsanto Company (Monsanto) and KWS SAAT AG (KWS), designated as event H7-1, in response to a supplemental Monsanto/KWS petition requesting partial deregulation of event H7-1. APHIS has determined that it will, for an interim period of time, grant the petition in part. APHIS will grant a partial deregulation for event H7-1 sugar beet root crop production activities when conducted under certain mandatory conditions. APHIS has decided not to grant partial deregulation for event H7-1 sugar beet seed crop production. Rather, APHIS has decided that event H7-1 sugar beet seed production shall remain regulated under APHIS' regulations governing the introduction of certain genetically engineered organisms. Our decision granting the petition in part on an interim basis is based on our evaluation of data submitted by Monsanto and KWS in its supplemental petition for a determination of "partial deregulation," our analysis of other scientific data, and comments received from the public in response to our previous notice announcing the availability of the environmental assessm