EU Commission caves in to biotech industry - again!

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GMW: EU Commission caves in to biotech industry - again!

" GM WATCH " <info

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 12:33:05 GMT

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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EU Commission caves in to biotech industry, Monsanto GM maize

authorized

 

Friends of the Earth Europe

Press release

For immediate release

 

Brussels, January 13th, 2006 †" The European Commission today ignored

environmental and health concerns of Member States and approved the

import and use of three Monsanto genetically modified (GM) maize (1).

 

This authorization comes despite studies showing that farmers in the US

and elsewhere are not seeing the reduced pesticide use and higher

profits promised by the biotech industry.

 

Helen Holder, GMO campaign coordinator at Friends of the Earth Europe,

said: " In whose interests is the EU commission acting? GM crops have

failed, yet the Commission continues to authorize Genetically Modified

Organisms (GMOs) in the EU despite there being no EU law protecting

conventional and organic farming from genetic pollution. "

 

" The EU Commission is going against the wish of European citizens, and

does not have the required majority support from Member States for GMO

approvals " , she added

 

Since August, three other GMOs have been authorized by the Commission

(2). " In all six cases, Member States' concerns were ignored because of

the undemocratic EU system allowing the Commission to take a decision

despite there not being a qualified majority in favour of GMOs in food

and animal feed " , Holder said.

 

All GMOs commercialized in the EU and worldwide have the same two

traits: insect resistance and herbicide tolerance, which have no benefits

for consumers. This is a poor result for 30 years of research and public

money spending. With 70% of EU citizens opposed to GMOs, and a growing

number of EU Regions stating their wish to be GM-free (3), the EU

Commission is caving in to the biotech industry lobby and to US pressure.

 

Earlier this week, a report by Friends of the Earth made public

Monsanto’s aim to genetically modify all of the European

continent’s maize

production between now and 2010. However, the number of EU countries

and regions banning GM products has increased over recent years (4).

 

Contact: Helen Holder, +32 (0)2 542 01 82 (office) or +32 (0)4 74 857

638 (mobile)

 

NOTES

(1) Monsanto maize GA21 (food and food ingredients); Monsanto maize MON

863 (food and food ingredients); Monsanto maize MON863x810 (import and

processing)

(2) See list:

http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/pending/approvals_timetable_Nov05.pdf

(3) 175 Regions throughout the EU have now declared themselves GMO

free. See: www.gmofree-europe.org

(4)

http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/who_benefits_from_gm_crops_Jan_2006.p\

df,

 

page 15

 

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable societies and for

the protection of the environment. It unites 31 European organisations

with thousands of local groups, and is part of the world's largest

grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.

 

 

 

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