Help to stop the European Commission from lifting thenational bans on genetically modified (GM) food and crops under WTO pressure!!

[Guest guest]

> Dear Signatories of the Bite Back campaign!

>

> We need your urgent help to stop the European Commission from lifting

> the national bans on genetically modified (GM) food and crops under WTO

> pressure!!

>

> The European Commission has called for a vote at the next Environmental

> Council in Luxembourg on 24 June, asking member states to vote on

> proposals to end national bans on GM food and crops. As you will recall,

> the Commission tried this last year and we succeeded in blocking their

> proposals but we didn’t get quite enough votes to stop them altogether.

> For EU countries to stop the Commission they must vote against their

> proposals with a so-called “qualified majority”. This is the weighted

> voting system used in Europe. Therefore it is very important that

> countries do not simply abstain but vote against the Commission. To see

> how you country voted last time see www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food.

>

> **You can send a letter, fax or email to your government, asking them to

> vote AGAINST the European Commission proposals to end with the national

> bans at: www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food/

>

> **Close to end of the GMO trade dispute?

>

> The US-led complaint at the WTO will be ruled next October/November

> after being delayed again a few months. However, following the WTO

> rules, it may be followed by an appeal phase. The final ruling on the

> case can be expected by the earliest beginning of 2006.

> If the WTO does not rule in favour of the European Union, the WTO could

> significantly harm the right of governments to set up its own rules to

> protect people and environments against the risks from GMOs. As a

> consequence of the dispute, government’s around the world might be

> reluctant to put in place strict legislation to control the release of

> GMOs.

>

> We have collected over 128 000 citizens’ objections to the WTO,

> demanding them not to undermine our right to eat GMO free food and to

> protect the rights of governments to choose GMO free farming. We will

> hand out a second round of citizens’ objection to the WTO in the autumn.

> More citizens’ objections are needed and you can help us to collect more

> signatures at: http://www.bite-back.org/support/collect_signatures.htm

>

> Thanks a lot for your time!

>

> Carmen Olmedo

> Bite Back campaign

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