GMW: MINISTERS TO VOTE ON GM FOODS - Key test for Europe

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GMW: MINISTERS TO VOTE ON GM FOODS - Key test for Europe

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Wed, 22 Jun 2005 22:49:19 +0100

 

 

 

 

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1.Background briefing – National bans on GMOs - Greenpeace

2.FRIDAY: MINISTERS TO VOTE ON GM FOODS

Key test for Europe - Friends of the Earth

 

Cyber action urging Ministers to reject the Commission proposals at

http://www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food/index.php

 

EXCERPT: " After the recent shocks to the European project, this vote

will be a key test for Ministers. It's the unpopular European

institutions who have been forcing GM foods onto the market, despite

huge public

concern right across Europe. Now is the chance for Ministers to help to

make Europe more relevant to people, by following public opinion and

allowing countries to ban GM foods. " (item 2)

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1.Background briefing – National bans on GMOs

 

Greenpeace, June 2005

 

On Friday 24 June, EU member states will vote on a Commission proposal

to force the lifting of national bans on the growing of certain

genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

 

Which countries have national bans?

 

Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, France and Greece (old bans)

 

Hungary, Poland and Greece (new bans)

 

Old bans: The first five member states put in place the so-called

" national safeguard clauses " on certain crops before Directive 2001/18/EC

came into force. These were implemented under former EU Directive 90/220,

now Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC and concerned the following

crops:

 

*maize Bt 176, with insecticidal toxin and antibiotic marker gene,

Syngenta company. (Austria, Luxembourg, Germany)

*maize MON810, with insecticidal toxin, Monsanto (Austria)

*maize T25, herbicide resistance, Bayer (Austria)

*rape seed Topas 19/2, herbicide resistance, Bayer (Greece, France)

*rape seed MS1, RF2, herbicide resistance, Bayer (France)

 

New bans: In 2005, three member states invoked new national bans under

Directive 2001/18/EC or the European seed legislation, against the

cultivation of GM maize MON810, authorised at the EU level in 1998. By

putting 17 varieties of this GM maize on the EU seed catalogue on 8

September 2004, the previous Commission made this GM maize available

for sale

throughout the EU.

 

Previous votes

 

The Commission has asked member states to support their call to lift

the old national bans. In the first vote by member states experts in a

committee (29 November 2004), just three member states (Portugal,

Netherlands, UK) supported the Commission by voting Yes to lift all

bans. A

qualified majority to reject the proposal was nearly reached in the case

of some crops.

 

The vote will now be put to ministers at the 24 June Environment

Council.

 

Why national bans should not be forcefully lifted:

*On the two rape seed crops: there is ample evidence that growing GM

oilseed rape in Europe would lead to unmanageable contamination of wild

oilseed rape relatives;

*antibiotic resistance genes: Directive 2001/18/EC laid down that GMOs

containing such genes be phased out by 31 December 2004;

*GM maize T25 has been heavily criticised by independent scientists for

being improperly investigated.

*Greenpeace research has revealed that contrary to the announcement of

the Commission no monitoring plan exists for MON810.

*The impact of the Bt maize (Bt176 and MON810) on beneficial insects

and soil organisms has not been properly investigated.

 

A decision to lift the safeguard clauses under pressure from the

Commission could jeopardise the case of the European Union at the

World Trade

Organisation (WTO) as it fights a case initiated by the US, Canada and

Argentina (European Communities – Measures Affecting the Approval and

Marketing of Biotech Products (WT/DS/291, 292 and 293)). The US has

lodged a complaint against national safeguard clauses and against the

alleged failure of the Commission to get them lifted. After repeated

delays,

a final judgement by the WTO panel is now expected in October 2005.

 

In the current atmosphere of deep crisis for the European institutions,

Greenpeace warns that public confidence in the EU will be further

undermined if national bans are lifted with the active support of only

two

member states.

 

The existing procedures for GMO authorisations already show Europe at

its worst: forcing through decisions on the basis of technocratic

procedures and confidential expertise, with scant regard for the

democratic

process.

 

Greenpeace is therefore urging EU member states to stand together and

reject the Commission's proposals, to support countries against this

attempt to restrict their national sovereignty under EU law and

international regulations such as the Biosafety Protocol. It is time

for EU

member states to show that protection of human health and the environment

comes first.

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2.FRIENDS OF THE EARTH EUROPE PRESS RELEASE

 

For immediate release: WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2005

 

CONTACT: Adrian Bebb GM Campaigner +49 1609 490 1163

 

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FRIDAY: MINISTERS TO VOTE ON GM FOODS

Key test for Europe

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Brussels 22 June 2005 - Environment Ministers from across Europe will

vote this Friday (June 24) on whether countries should lift their bans

on

genetically modified foods (called GM or GMOs). The proposal to lift

the bans has been tabled by the European Commission in response to a

dispute

over GM foods at the World Trade Organisation, where the United States

claim that the national bans are a barrier to trade.

 

Ministers will also vote on a controversial GM maize which caused

unexplained kidney damage to rats, according to research conducted by the

manufacturer, biotech giant Monsanto, which refused to release all its

results into this maize.

 

Since 1997, five EU countries have banned various GM crops on safety

grounds. (1) The Commission is asking all EU member states to vote on

proposals requiring the five countries to lift their bans within 20

days.(2)

 

One of the GMOs in question, Syngenta's BT176 maize, was never even

supported by member states; it was forced onto the market by the

Commission in 1997.

 

The Commission's proposals are seen as a direct result of the trade

dispute in the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that was started in 2003 by

the United States, Argentina and Canada. These countries, all big

producers of GM crops, claim that Europe's precautionary stance on GM

food,

including the national bans, are a barrier to free trade and harm their

farmers. The WTO is expected to deliver an interim ruling in August.

 

The ministerial vote will also be a key test of the European Food

Standards Agency (EFSA). Last year the EFSA claimed the national bans

had no

scientific basis. So far, member states have never supported any of the

GMO products cleared by the EFSA and Friends of the Earth has been

deeply

critical of EFSA's pro-biotech position and close links with the GMO

industry. (3)

 

Adrian Bebb, GMO Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe said:

" After the recent shocks to the European project, this vote will be a key

test for Ministers. It's the unpopular European institutions who have

been forcing GM foods onto the market, despite huge public concern right

across Europe. Now is the chance for Ministers to help to make Europe

more relevant to people, by following public opinion and allowing

countries to ban GM foods. "

 

The Ministers will also vote on the import of Monsanto's GMO maize,

called MON863. The maize has been seeped in controversy following feeding

studies that showed differences in blood cell parameters, kidney

weights and kidney structure in rats fed MON863. The EFSA rejected all

concerns raised by member states and Monsanto refused to publish the

whole

feeding study. The German government won a court ruling earlier this

month against Monsanto who are trying to prevent the publication of the

study.

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

 

Adrian Bebb GM Campaigner Friends of the Earth Europe +49 1609 490 1163

 

NOTES

 

(1) Friends of the Earth briefings and a cyber action urging Ministers

to reject the Commission proposals are available at

http://www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food/index.php

 

(2) The Commission proposals can be found at:

www.foodlaw.rdg.ac.uk/news/eu-05037.htm

 

(3) The Friends of the Earth report: Throwing Caution to the Wind can

be downloaded at:

http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/publications/EFSAreport.pdf

 

The national bans are:

 

Germany

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 31/03/2000) - Reason: effects on

non-target insects + transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to humans

and

animals +

insects could develop resistance to the Bt

 

France

Bayer's oilseed rape Topas 19/2 (banned 16/11/1998) - Reason: impact of

genetic escape and spread of herbicide tolerance Bayer's oilseed rape

MS1xRf1 (banned 16/11/1998) - Reason: impact of genetic escape and

spread of herbicide tolerance

 

Austria

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 13/02/1997) - Reason: effects on

non-target insects such as butterflies + transfer of antibiotic

resistance

genes to humans and animals Bayer's T25 maize (banned 28/4/2000) -

Reason:

protection of sensitive

areas, lack of monitoring plan and concerns about the herbicide used

Monsanto's MON810 maize (banned 10/06/1999) - Reason: Effects on

non-target insects

 

Luxembourg

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 07/02/1997) - Reason: Transfer of

antibiotic resistance genes to humans and animals

 

Greece

Bayer's oilseed rape Topas 19/2 (banned 08/09/1998) - Reason: impact of

genetic escape

 

Press Release

DATE

For Immediate Release

 

 

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