Guest guest Posted September 8, 2004 Report Share Posted September 8, 2004 GM_CROPS_-_RECIPE_FOR_DISASTER > " GM_WATCH " <info > Wed, 8 Sep 2004 13:19:20 +0100 > > GM WATCH daily > http://www.gmwatch.org > --- > Friends of the Earth Europe > Press release for immediate release Wednesday 8 > September 2004 > Contact: > Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile > 00 31 (0)6 290 05 908 > Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile 00 > 49 (0)1609 490 1163 > > *************************************************************** > GM CROPS: RECIPE FOR DISASTER > Friends of the Earth urges Governments to ban GM > seeds > *************************************************************** > > Brussels, 8 September - Friends of the Earth has > condemned today's decision by the European > Commission to allow farmers to commercially grow up > to 17 different types of genetically modified (GM) > maize seeds in fields across the whole of Europe. > The Commission also dropped from the agenda any > decision to legalise the widespread GM contamination > of conventional crops. > > Friends of the Earth, Europe's largest grassroots > environmental network, believes the proposals will > threaten Europe's food and farming and take away > consumers right to avoid GM food. They have called > on Governments to use EU law to ban the seed > varieties. (1) > > Geert Ritsema, GMO Campaign Coordinator of Friends > of the Earth Europe said: > > " The European Commission's proposals are a recipe > for disaster. They will lead to the widespread > contamination of Europe's food, farming and > environment and take away consumers ability to avoid > GM. European member states must step in where the > Commission has failed and ban these GM seeds. " > > Commenting on the decision not to discuss seed > contamination, Ritsema continued: > > " Friends of the Earth welcomes this decision and > believes that the Commission now has a golden > opportunity to bring out better proposals that will > protect people and the environment. Public safety > must come before the financial interests of the > biotechnology industry.. " > > At today's meeting the outgoing European Commission > decided to add 17 varieties of a GM maize made by > Monsanto to Europe's Common Catalogue of seeds. (2) > The seeds will now be commercially available to > farmers across the whole EU, the first time that a > GM seed has been added to the common catalogue. Only > one country - Denmark - has so far put in place > " co-existence " measures aimed at preventing the > uncontrolled spread of GMOs in the food chain and > the environment. Without coexistence rules the > widespread contamination of conventional crops is > highly likely, posing a massive threat to Europe's > food, farming and environment. > > Notes to editors > 1. According to a leaked Communication from > Commissioner David Byrne " any Member State may > object to the marketing on their territory of any > such GM variety if they consider there is a risk for > human health, the environment or agronomic reasons. " > (Whole communication available from Friends of the > Earth) > > 2. Monsanto's MON810 maize, which is modified to > produce a toxin to resist a type of insect, already > has a EU wide licence through GM legislation. > However, up to now it has not been made available to > farmers through the EU common catalogue. Six of the > varieties are already on the national seed > lists in France (but not grown commercially as far > as we are aware) and 11 are listed on the Spanish > seed list. > > Contact: > Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile > 00 31 (0)6 290 05 908 > Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile 00 > 49 (0)1609 490 1163 > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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