Guest guest Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 > " News Update from The Campaign " > <newsupdate > Latest developments from the EU > Tue, 20 Jul 2004 19:06:07 -0500 > > News Update From The Campaign to Label Genetically > Engineered Foods > ---- > > Dear News Update Subscribers, > > There are two developments out of the European Union > (EU) nations to report: > > GE CORN APPROVED IN EU FOR ANIMAL FEED > > The European Commission, the executive body of the > EU, ruled on Monday that > genetically engineered (GE), herbicide-resistant > corn can be used for animal > feed. However, it still cannot be grown in the EU > for any reason. > > The European Commission made this ruling because the > EU Environmental > Ministers were deadlocked in their vote on this > matter last month. > > Although foods that contain genetically engineered > ingredients are required > to be labeled in the EU, meat and dairy products > from animals fed > genetically engineered crops will NOT need to be > labeled under EU labeling > requirements. > > This move by the European Commission to allow > animals to be fed genetically > engineered corn is likely to irritate many > consumers. We expect many EU > grocery chains will insist that their suppliers > provide meat and dairy > products from animals that are not fed this biotech > corn. > > GE CORN FOR HUMANS IN EU STILL UNCERTAIN > > Instead of the Environmental Ministers, on Monday it > was the Agriculture > Ministers who were deadlocked in their vote over > whether or not to allow > genetically engineered corn to be consumed in the EU > by humans. > > As a result of the inability of the Agriculture > Ministers to make a > decision, this matter will also go to the European > Commission for approval. > > Based on the European Commission's track record of > supporting genetically > engineered crops, we expect that they will approve > the corn for human > consumption sometime in the next 90 days. However, > there may be a large > amount of people in the EU that will complain loudly > to the European > Commission about their approval of genetically > engineered corn for animal > feed. > > A lot of consumer complaints about their GE animal > feed ruling is likely to > cause the European Commission to think twice about > approving this biotech > corn for human consumption. Let's hope EU consumers > let their opinions be > heard loud and clear over the coming weeks. > > We will keep you informed on these developments as > they take place. Posted > below are two articles. The first article is from > the Associated Press and > covers both of these recent developments. The second > article from The New > York Times only discusses the animal feed ruling, > but goes into considerable > depth on the issues. > > Craig Winters > Executive Director > The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods > > The Campaign > PO Box 55699 > Seattle, WA 98155 > Tel: 425-771-4049 > Fax: 603-825-5841 > E-mail: label > Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org > > Mission Statement: " To create a national grassroots > consumer campaign for > the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President > to pass legislation that > will require the labeling of genetically engineered > foods in the United > States. " > > *************************************************************** > > > Biotech corn OK'd for feed, not food - Debate heads > to EU's executive body > > Paul Geitner > Associated Press > Jul. 20, 2004 12:00 AM > > BRUSSELS, Belgium - European Union governments > deadlocked Monday on an > application to allow imports of a > herbicide-resistant corn for human > consumption, but the bloc's executive body approved > the same product's use > for animal feed. > > The opposing decisions reflect continuing divisions > on genetically modified > crops, despite the lifting last spring of Europe's > de facto moratorium on > new products. > > EU agriculture ministers failed to get a majority > for or against allowing > Monsanto Co.'s Roundup Ready corn, which is widely > grown in the United > States and elsewhere, to be imported for food or > food ingredients, officials > said. The application did not cover cultivation. > > Roundup Ready corn, which is engineered to resist > the U.S. company's Roundup > herbicide, received a clean bill of health from the > European Food Safety > Authority last year. > > " Its safety is, therefore, not in question, and > neither is the question of > user or consumer choice, " said EU Environment > Commissioner Margot Wallstrom, > who backed the application. Strict labeling laws for > genetically modified > products went into effect across the EU last April. > > Nine EU countries - Latvia, Denmark, Cyprus, Malta, > Italy, Greece, Austria, > Portugal and Luxembourg - voted against the license. > Nine others - Czech > Republic, Slovakia, Belgium, France, Ireland, > Netherlands, Finland, Sweden > and Britain - voted in favor. > > Hungary, Slovenia, Germany and Spain abstained, > while Estonia and Poland > expressed no view. > > Environment ministers split along similar lines last > month when considering > Roundup Ready corn imports for animal feed. > > That application was approved Monday by the European > Commission, the > executive body of the EU. Under EU rules, if > ministers don't agree in 90 > days, the commission decides. > > However, imports for feed can't start until the > equivalent approval has been > granted for food. That means they will have to wait > until after Sept. 29, > when the food application is expected to go back to > the commission. > > The political stalemate highlights continuing unease > in Europe over biotech > foods despite the resumption in May of new > approvals, which had been on hold > for six years due to public fears about perceived > environmental and health > risks. > > After a similar deadlock, the commission OK'd a > biotech variety of corn made > by Switzerland's Syngenta AG for import and sale, > but not cultivation. > > EuropaBio, the European association for > bioindustries, welcomed the > commission's second approval. " We hope that further > approvals will follow, " > Secretary General Johan Vanhemelrijck said Monday. > > St. Louis-based Monsanto voiced similar views. > > " We're hopeful that this is a signal that the > European communities and its > member states are serious about ending the > moratorium on biotech approvals, " > said Brett Benemann, a Monsanto executive vice > president. > > Monsanto shares were unchanged Monday at $36.58. > > Over 40 percent of the corn grown in the United > States is genetically > modified with bacteria genes to either resist pests > or Monsanto's herbicide. > U.S. corn farmers have lobbied the Bush > administration to help force open > the European market to their biotech crops. > > *************************************************************** > > > Europe Approves Genetically Modified Corn as Animal > Feed > By ELIZABETH BECKER > > July 20, 2004 > > WASHINGTON - The European Union on Monday approved > the importation of a > genetically modified corn from the United States for > animal feed, an > important break in a six-year moratorium on the > approval of biotechnology > crops that has touched off a trade war. > > The announcement of the approval in Brussels was met > with relief at > Monsanto, the biotechnology giant that produces the > corn, where it was seen > as a welcome change after years of rejection. The > decision will allow the > importation and sale of Roundup Ready Corn 2 feed > corn, but not its > cultivation. > > " Europe's decision on Monday represents definite > progress, " said Lee > Quarles, public affairs manager at Monsanto's > headquarters in St. Louis. " We > haven't seen action out of the European Union since > 1998.'' > > But the Bush administration said the decision would > not deter it from > pursuing its case against the European Union at the > World Trade > Organization, said Richard Mills, the spokesman for > the United States trade > representative. > > " Our bottom line is Europe needs to have a > predictable, timely, transparent > and science-based regulatory system for biotech > products,'' Mr. Mills said. > > Europeans are far more suspicious of genetically > modified food than > Americans, and they consider the issue one of safety > rather than free trade. > European consumers have protested what they call > " frankenfoods " and have > said that American multinationals cannot force them > to accept a product they > consider unsafe for human consumption or for the > environment. > > The European Union has sought to ease consumer fears > by passing stringent > labeling rules in April to ensure that no one > unknowingly purchases > genetically modified food. > > Margot Wallström, the top European official for the > environment, who made > the announcement on Monday, said in a statement that > the corn, known as > NK603 maize, had been rigorously tested and was > considered " as safe as any > conventional maize. " > > " Clear labeling provides farmer and consumers the > information they need to > decide whether to buy the product or not,'' she > said. > > She also underscored that the corn would be easily > traced following the > strict new rules. > > Syngenta, the Swiss biotechnology company, won > approval in May to sell a > genetically modified sweet corn in the European > Union, which does not > include Switzerland. > > Neither corn was approved for cultivation in Europe, > where officials fear > that sowing the seeds of biogenetically engineered > crops will ruin the > diversity of their plants and cause environmental > damage. > > The United States and Europe have been feuding over > the issue since the > moratorium began. It came to a boiling point last > year when the Bush > administration filed its case at the W.T.O., > contending that the European > ban amounted to an illegal trade barrier. That case > is still pending. > > At the same time, President Bush said that the > European opposition to > biotechnology was a threat to efforts to end world > hunger because several > African nations had rejected United States aid of > genetically modified food > for their starving populations. European officials > dismissed the charges, > saying that they gave a much larger proportion of > their gross domestic > product to aid developing countries and that they > had not interfered with > the American food aid program to Africa. > > Some of the largest United States agriculture and > biotechnology companies > have invested billions of dollars during the last > decade to develop > genetically altered crops. Nearly 100 million acres > of farmland in the > United States are now planted with genetically > altered crops, and > agriculture officials say American farmers have lost > at least $1 billion > over the last five years because they have been > unable to export to Europe. > One out of every three acres of farmland in the > United States is planted for > export. > > Agribusinesses have pushed the administration to > open the European market, > potentially the most lucrative for them. Large > farmers who grow these crops > have been reminding law makers and officials that in > this election year they > carry special weight in swing states in the Midwest. > > Monsanto will have to wait at least three more > months to for the approval of > the European Union to be finalized. Mr. Quarles of > Monsanto said he was > reluctant to guess when the genetically engineered > feed corn will be > exported and sold in Europe. > > " This is the first step toward selling corn in > Europe,'' he said. " We're > optimistic we'll receive word from the European > Commission in a timely > fashion.'' > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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