Poland: New GMO free Province
Pomorskie Province (with capital Gdansk) has declared itself GMO free. It is an area on the Baltic sea, popular
with tourists. The area is 18,000km2 and has a population of 2.2 million.
Also a commune in Dolnoslaskie Province called Dziadowa-Kloda has declared
itself a GMO Free Zone. There are 4,600 citizens in Dziadowa-Kloda and the area is
105km2.
posted Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Declaration of 1.000 GMO-free zones in Ireland
One thousand GMO-Free Zones were declared throughout the island of Ireland today - 22nd April, Earth Day 2005 - by farmers, food producers, hotels, restaurants, markets, pubs, retailers, and homes North and South of the border. These sites require legal protection from contamination by genetically modified (GM) seeds, crops, trees, livestock and fish. Hundreds of participants have placed GMO-FREE ZONE signs outside their place of business.
GM-free Ireland Press Release (pdf)
GM-free Ireland Homepage
posted Friday, April 22, 2005
Bt10: EU Commission requires certification of US exports to stop unauthorised GMO entering the EU
The EU temporarily banned imports of U.S. maize feed and grains unless there is proof they are free of an illegal genetically modified organism. A test has been provided by Syngenta and GeneScan and approved by the EU.
SOS Dossier on bt10 - constantly updated
EU Press Release
Syngenta Press Release: Syngenta supports EU in targeted certification program for two animal feed maize products
posted Thursday, April 21, 2005
EU: Register of existing GM food and feed products published
The EU Commission has published a list of 26 genetically modified products which have been legally on the EU market since before the new legislative framework for authorising GM food and feed had entered into effect. These so-called 'existing products' were either approved under former EU legislation, or did not require approval at the time that they were put on the market.
EU Press Release
EU Commission: Questions & answers on GMO 'existing products' register
EU Commission: the register notifications
posted Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Schwarzböck new president of EU farmers organisation
The Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the European Union (COPA) today unanimously elected Rudolf Schwarzböck new President
for the period 2005 – 2007. Schwarzböck has been the President of the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture, which expressed a distinctly critical position on GMO over the past years.
COPA Press release in various languages: Rudolf Schwarzböck elected President
Letter of Austrian Chamber of Ag on GMO and Seed thresholds to the EU Commission (german olny)
posted Saturday, April 16, 2005
Italy: Constitutional Court confirms GMO Free regional laws
The Italian Constitutional court confirmed the laws in Marche and Puglia, which declare these Regions GMO free.
AGI: Go ahead for gmo free produce
posted Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Poland: Lodskie goes GMO free
On March 31st 2005, the Province of Lodskie, in central southern Poland,
declared itself a GMO Free Zone.
Lodze has a population of 2.5 million and covers an area of 18,220 km2. The
capitol city is Lodz.
overview Poland
posted Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Spain: Success of NGOs and agricultural organisations on co-existence
At a meeting with the Spanish ministry for agriculture Spanish NGOs and agricultural organisations achieved a re-openig of the discussion about GM co-existence and the withdrawal of the ministry's initial proposal: "The document below was written by a large coalition of Spanish organizations. It describes minimum demands because it was very important to have a huge representation of the civil society. And... it worked! We managed to get the compromise from the minister of agriculture to stop the approval of the very bad Decree on coexistence that would have legalized general genetic contamination of all crops. In a meeting on 30. March the minister told us that the decree needs more time, that they will see how they can incorporate our demands and that there will be dialog with us in the next month for a new draft."
Basic points to be included in the Spanish rules on coexistence between genetically modified, conventional and organic crops
posted Saturday, April 02, 2005
