GMW:_Monsanto_defies_German_government/BUREAUCRATS_SAY_YES_-_PUBLIC_SAYS_NO!

[Guest guest]

Subject:

:_Monsanto_defies_German_government/BUREAUCRATS_SAY_YES_-_PUBLIC_SAYS_NO!

 

Wed, 19 May 2004 12:39:25 +0100

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

---

" Countries that have planted GM crops on a large scale have seen their exports

to Europe crash. Maize from the US to Europe has declined from 3.3

million tonnes in 1995 to just 25,000 tonnes in 2002. Canada has lost all of its

oilseed rape (canola) market to Europe, worth an estimated $300

million. " (item 3)

 

1.Monsanto defies German government on risk study as EU Commission prepares to

approve GM maize

2.EU GM BAN UNDER THREAT FROM UNELECTED OFFICIALS

3.POLITICIANS SAY YES - PUBLIC SAYS NO!

---

1.Monsanto defies German government on risk study*

as EU Commission prepares to approve GM maize

 

Brussels/Berlin, 18 May 2004 - US biotech giant Monsanto has refused a request

by the German government to hand over a study showing that rats fed a variety of

Monsanto GM maize suffered serious health abnormalities, Greenpeace revealed

today.

 

The German government, who assessed Monsanto's original application for approval

of the MON863 maize, officially asked the company to present the

full study to them, after Le Monde disclosed its details last month.

 

But Monsanto has refused to hand over the document, claiming it is " confidential

business information " . This blatantly contravenes EU law, which stipulates that

any information concerning human health or

environmental safety must be made public.

 

The study, carried out by Monsanto, found that rats fed with MON863 suffered a

number of abnormal effects in the development of blood cells and vital organs,

including the kidneys.

 

Despite being aware of these results, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

delivered a positive assessment on the maize on 19 April.

 

" How can the authorities guarantee the safety of products which they allow on

the market, as long as Monsanto and other large biotech companies are

allowed to defy governments so brazenly? " said Eric Gall of Greenpeace European

Unit in Brussels. " This case shows up just how inadequate and un-transparent

European authorisation procedures for GMOs are. "

 

Monsanto's obstructive behaviour comes just as the European Commission prepares

to approve the first GMO since 1998. After having repeatedly failed to gain

approval from EU Member States, the Commission now has the authority to approve

Syngenta's Bt-11 sweet maize alone. It does so in the face of a number of

concerns about the safety of the product (2), in the absence of Member State

support and against the wishes of a large majority of European consumers, who

have said they do not want GMOs in their food.

------

Notes

1: Le Monde 23rd April

2: These include concerns that: a) there was no toxicological testing of the

whole plant; b) no tests were carried out on the long-term effects of

eating the new protein; the claim that Bt-11 is safe was based on assumption

rather than evidence : the food tests quoted by Syngenta in the application were

carried out not on Bt11 sweet corn but on another maize variety destined for

animal feed, disregarding notable differences between

the two.

In its 25 November 2003 advice, the French Food Safety Agency (AFFSA) pointed

out the lack of data and toxicity studies for the sweet maize and

indicated that " potential unexpected effects, due to an interference of the

genetic transformation with the specific metabolism of this maize, cannot

be excluded " . AFSSA re-confirmed its opinion on Bt11 yesterday 22 April :

http://www.afssa.fr/actualites/index.asp?id_theme=1086 & id_info=5401

A report by the Austrian Federal Environment Agency criticises the Bt-11

application and EU assessment: http:/www.ubavie.gv.at (Executive summary in

German and English).

On 1 April, the Belgian Biosafety Council refused to give a positive advice on

the grounds that Syngenta had failed to provide data requested:

http://www.bio-council.be/docs/BAC_2004_SC_116.pdf

 

Contact:

Eric Gall, Greenpeace European Unit, tel +32 (0)496 161 582

Christoph Then, Greenpeace Germany, +49 171 878 0832

---

2.NEWS RELEASE

From the office of the Green MEPs

May 18th, 2004

 

EU GM BAN UNDER THREAT FROM UNELECTED OFFICIALS - GREEN EURO-MP WARNS COMMISSION

TO STAND FIRM ON GM

 

EUROPE'S six-year de facto moratorium on new GM authorisations could be

overturned tomorrow - by unelected bureaucrats in the European Commission.

 

Green Party MEP Caroline Lucas warned wavering Commissioners to block the

authorisation of 'Bt-11' Maize, due to be discussed at the Commission's

weekly meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, May 19th), for the sake of human health,

protecting the environment, farmers' welfare - and democracy.

 

Dr Lucas, who represents South-East England and has played a key role in shaping

the EU's labelling and traceability rules which came into force last

month, said: " There is no consensus over the safety to human health or the

environment - and public opinion across the EU is resolutely opposed to the

authorisation of new GMOs.

 

" In these circumstances, the moratorium must remain in force - any decision to

change the status quo must be taken by accountable politicians who could

be forced to pay the ultimate price of losing their job for their failure to

protect EU citizens from GM.

 

" There is no clear basis for dealing with liability for cross-contamination of

non-GM crops, and giving the go-ahead could be the death-knell for organic and

non-GM farming in the EU.

 

" With more than 80 per cent of the EU opposed, and a growing number of regions

declaring themselves 'GM-free zones', this would be nothing short of a failure

of democracy. "

 

ENDS

For more information please contact Ben or Katy on 020 7407 6280, 07973 823358

or at press

www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk

---

3.Friends of the Earth Europe

Immediate Press Release Wednesday 19 May 2004

Contact: Adrian Bebb +49 1609 490 1163

 

****************************************************

GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS IN EUROPE:

POLITICIANS SAY YES - PUBLIC SAYS NO!

****************************************************

 

Brussels, Belgium - The approval of the first new genetically modified (GM) food

in Europe for over five years will only harden consumer resistance says Friends

of the Earth, the world's largest grassroots environmental network.

 

The group heavily criticised the European Commission (1) for approving the

import of a controversial GM sweet-corn without the support of the European

Union (EU) member states who remain deeply divided over its safety.

 

The maize, developed by Swiss-based Syngenta, has been engineered to include a

deadly insecticide. The European approval is only for food and animal feed

imports and not for growing in the EU.

 

However Friends of the Earth claim that with opposition so high there is little

future for GM food and crops in Europe.

 

Consumers say no

There is virtually no market for GM foods in Europe as consumers have

overwhelmingly rejected them. New EU labelling and traceability regulations came

into force on April 18th giving consumers better information to decideOfficial

opinion polls show that 94.6% of EU citizens want the right to choose and 70.9%

simply do not want GM food (2).

 

GM Free Regions

Initiatives to ban GM crops from being grown have now started in at least 22

European countries with some regions introducing their own legislation to

ban the crops. In France over 1200 municipalities have issued GM free statements

as well as 500 cities in Italy.

 

GM industry in retreat

The biotechnology industry sees no future in Europe. Last week biotech giant

Monsanto withdrew their GM wheat after selling their European cereal

business last year. Last month Bayer withdrew the only commercial crop it had in

the UK. The number of applications to test GM crops outdoors in

Europe have reduced 80% since 1997.

 

Exports lost

Countries that have planted GM crops on a large scale have seen their exports to

Europe crash. Maize from the US to Europe has declined from 3.3

million tonnes in 1995 to just 25,000 tonnes in 2002. Canada has lost all of its

oilseed rape (canola) market to Europe, worth an estimated $300

million.(4)

 

Adrian Bebb, GM campaigner for Friends of the Earth said: " There is no future

for genetically modified foods or crops in Europe. Politicians may be saying yes

but the public is clearly saying no. The European market is virtually dead,

regions are banning the growing of GM crops and the industry is packing up and

leaving.

 

" The European Commission is gambling with the health of consumers. Member states

remain divided over the long term safety of this GM sweet corn, yet the

Commission wants to force it down our throats. But the public won't swallow

this. Hostility to GM food and crops is likely to grow, and the publics

confidence in EU decision-making is likely to be damaged. " ´

 

Friends of the Earth opposes the release of GM crops into the environment but

does not oppose biotechnology in general.

 

Notes to Editors

 

1. The Commission is the executive arm of the European Union.

2. europa.eu.int/comm/research/press/2001/pr0612en-report.pdf

3. European Commission regrets US decision, Press release, European Commission

13 May 2003

 

A briefing of the GM situation in Europe can be found at www.foeeurope.org

 

CONTACTS

Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile +49 (0)1609 490 1163

Nicolo Sarno Media Coordinator, Friends of the Earth International 31 20 6221369

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SBC - Internet access at a great low price.