Press release 
following the decision of the French Minister of Agriculture 
of May 25, 2004 concerning the Gaucho dossier
Lyon, May 25, 2004

France's Minister of Agriculture, Hervé Gaymard, decided today to suspend 
the marketing authorization for Gaucho® for corn for "until the 
re-evaluation of the active ingredient imidacloprid by the European 
Commission expected in 2006."

The Minister of Agriculture based his decision:
¨       On a new opinion rendered by the Gaucho® corn Toxicity Study Commission, 
to which he had referred the matter last February 23, and 
¨       On the adversarial proceeding during which Bayer CropScience France and 
the principal users of Gaucho® presented their observations.
Bayer CropScience France is astonished:
-       that following a final positive examination at the beginning of 2003, a 
contrary opinion and decision have been rendered, even though the only new 
scientific evidence (Study by the French agency for food sanitary safety, 
AFSSA) shows the absence of any link between Gaucho® and the bee problems
-       that this decision was also made without taking into account the final 
results of the on-going multi-factor study and the establishment of the 
regional observation areas requested by the ministry of Agriculture.
Furthermore, Bayer CropScience France wishes to stress that the European 
re-evaluation procedure for the active ingredient imidacloprid is 
progressing, and that the company has great confidence in the success of 
this procedure.
Bayer CropScience France recalls that Gaucho® for sunflowers and corn is 
only being suspended in France and that this suspension is not being 
imposed in the other European countries.
Bayer CropScience France is considering appropriate legal measures against 
the decision after having fully analyzed the reasoning given by the 
Minister.

Frank Garnier, Executive Officer of Bayer CropScience France, will held a 
press conference on Thursday, May 27th, 2004 at 10.30 AM at Bayer's 
headquarters ? 49-51, quai de Dion Bouton in Puteaux (France).

Press contacts:

Bayer CropSciencePublicis Consultants
François Thiboust ? Tel.: +33 (0)4 72 85 42 74
[log in to unmask] Rivière ? Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 43 79 48
 Stéphanie Prévost ? Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 43 75 24

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