GMW: EU's SECRET BIOTECH INDUSTRY BIAS

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GMW: EU's SECRET BIOTECH INDUSTRY BIAS

" GM WATCH " <info

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 09:03:35 +0100

 

 

 

 

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EXCERPTS: Friends of the Earth Europe enquired anonymously into free

places at the event and were informed that several spaces were still

available. When attempting to register minutes later in the name of

Friends

of the Earth Europe, conference organizers responded that unfortunately

the event was full. A second anonymous query to the hotel venue

confirmed that this was untrue. When Friends of the Earth went to the

conference location this morning they were refused entry.

 

" Meeting in secret to discuss issues of high public importance is an

absolute disgrace and a bad sign of what is to come under the Finnish

Presidency of the EU. Once again, big industry has a permanent seat in

biotech strategy discussions whereas environmental groups are barred. "

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Friends of the Earth Europe

Press release

For immediate release

 

************************************

FRIENDS OF THE EARTH EXPOSES EU FOR SECRET BIOTECH INDUSTRY BIAS

 

Incoming Finnish Presidency and European Commission organise closed

doors, pro-industry biotech meeting

************************************

 

Brussels June 20 - Friends of the Earth has condemned a high-level

meeting on Europe's future biotechnology strategy, that is taking place

today behind closed doors and from which environmental NGOs have been

barred entry.[1]

 

Helen Holder, GMO Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe said:

" Meeting in secret to discuss issues of high public importance is an

absolute disgrace and a bad sign of what is to come under the Finnish

Presidency of the EU. Once again, big industry has a permanent seat in

biotech

strategy discussions whereas environmental groups are barred. "

 

The meeting, taking place in Helsinki today, provides a platform for

biotech industry representatives to engage in discussion with Member

States and the European Commission. The biotech industry will be

presented

with preliminary results of a major Commission study and they will be

invited to comment, even though the period for input from stakeholders

like environmental and consumer groups has not even finished yet.[2]

Friends of the Earth Europe has already criticized the study's lack of

independence and transparency.[3]

 

The meeting has been organized by the Finnish and Austrian Governments

in collaboration with the European Commission and is part of a mid-term

review of the EU's biotechnology strategy. Issues such as

competitiveness, the impacts of biotechnology, regulation of

biotechnology and

public perceptions of biotechnology, will be discussed.[4]

 

" The review of the EU's biotech strategy should have been an excellent

opportunity for an open debate on how Europe handles new controversial

technologies such as genetically modified food. Instead it has turned

into a back-slapping exercise for the biotech industry whilst other

stakeholders are kept out. This makes a farce out of the attempts to make

this review transparent and open, " Holder added.

 

Friends of the Earth Europe is calling for:

 

*all papers presented at today's meeting to be posted on the website of

the European Commission immediately

*participation of all stakeholders in the EU biotech strategy mid term

review (MTR)

*a timetable of all MTR meetings, agendas and minutes

 

*a meeting with the Commission's Joint Research Centre for stakeholders

excluded from today's meeting, to discuss the preliminary results of

the study

 

For more information, please contact:

In Brussels:

Helen Holder, GMO Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe: +32 25 42

01 82; Mobile: +32 474 857 638; helen.holder

 

Adrian Bebb, GMO Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe: +49 80 25

99 19 51; Mobile: +49 1609 4901163; adrian.bebb

 

Rosemary Hall, Communications Officer at Friends of the Earth Europe:

+32 25, 42 61 05; Mobile: +32 485 930515; rosemary.hall

 

In Helsinki:

Ritta Savikko, Chair of Friends of the Earth Finland: +358 4083 43997;

ritta.savikko

 

NOTES

 

[1] Friends of the Earth Europe enquired anonymously into free places

at the event and were informed that several spaces were still available.

When attempting to register minutes later in the name of Friends of the

Earth Europe, conference organizers responded that unfortunately the

event was full. A second anonymous query to the hotel venue confirmed

that this was untrue. When Friends of the Earth went to the conference

location this morning they were refused entry.

 

[2] " Consequences, opportunities and challenges of modern biotechnology

for Europe " , European Commission Directorate General Research, Joint

Research Centre, Institute for Prospective Technological Studies.

http://bio4eu.jrc.es/

 

[3] Friends of the Earth Europe participated in the first stakeholder

meeting in January 2006 and made a presentation at the second meeting in

May 2006. Stakeholders have been given until June 30th to submit

written papers for the study.

 

[4] Biotech Round Table Discussion, June 20th 2006, Helsinki. Programme

at http://tekes.fi/neobio/

 

 

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