(E.U.) GM_CROPS_-_RECIPE_FOR_DISASTER

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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

>

>

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> 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

>

>