ACT Environment Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff is calling for the immediate lifting of the voluntary moratorium on GM field trials.

"I understand a number of parties and businesses have applications for trials all ready to go. The Government should now indicate the ending of the moratorium and encourage those parties to make their applications.

"Now that the Royal Commission has come out in favour of having trials there is no point in maintaining the moratorium. This would simply produce unnecessary delays.

"The Government will have plenty of time to make up its mind what it will do on the commission's recommendations while the applications are being heard.

"The growing season doesn't wait for anybody. If applications are not heard now the season will be missed.

"Many of the issues raised in the report will take lengthy periods to sort out. It would make no sense to continue with ' or even compulsorily extend ' the moratorium. Any more delays than necessary would simply just place us even further behind the rest of the world, therefore losing any opportunity to develop an advantage in the things we do well," Gerry Eckhoff said.

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