Austria and Hungary have asserted their right to ban cultivation of a genetically modified (GM) corn, known as MON810. On March 2, an overwhelming majority of environment ministers rejected the European Commission's initiative to order these member states to adhere to European Union legislation and lift their national bans on planting the GM maize. MON810 is an insect-resistant corn engineered by Monsanto and the only GM product approved for growing in Europe. It is cultivated in Spain, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. But after the recent vote, it now seems likely that when the council of ministers next meets in June, it will uphold similar bans currently in place in France and Greece, intensifying the disarray. “By failing to defend the EU approval system European governments undermine public trust. Why make tough laws on GM crops and then break them?” asks Nathalie Moll, spokesperson for the association of bioindustries EuropaBio. Things will deteriorate further if Germany confirms statements released by its ministers of environment and agriculture Sigmar Gabriel and Ilse Aigner that Berlin is considering a cultivation ban. In February, an EU regulatory committee deadlocked over whether to allow planting of two other insect-resistant maize lines, BT-11 and 1507. Final approval will now depend on the council of ministers and, in case of stalemate, on the Commission. A more propitious wind blows in Asia, where Monsanto has started field trials of GM corn in India and is eyeing Indonesia next.