France: Greenpeace marks GM fields as court prohibits GM map
After a French court ruled that Greenpeace France must remove a map of GMO maize fields from its web-site, activists marked one of the fields directly with a giant crop circle around an X. The French court order is peculiar as EU directives, which have not yet been implemented in French law actually call for public registers of GM fields. In Germany detailed information on every location is provided by the state.
Fighting Secrecy Over Transgenic Crops, Greenpeace Carves a Circle
Greenpeace international map and press release
posted Friday, July 28, 2006
Poland: Parliament bans GM feed imports
After a general ban on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms on July 22nd the Polish Parliament in a 210:186 vote adopted another law, which bans the import and use of GM feed within two years.
ICPPC: Ban on GM feed in Poland
posted Tuesday, July 25, 2006
UK: Dispute about co-existence
The UK government has started a consultation on co-existence regulations between GM and non-GM farming. The proposal provides for no public register of GM planting and distances of mere 35 meters even between gm and non-gm oilseed rape. The proposal is under public fire and the consultation will last until October.
Daily Telegraph: Plans to allow GM farming in secret 'are irresponsible'
GM Freeze: DEFRA GM Growing Proposals Condemned As Charter for Contamination
DEFRA co-existence consultation web-site
posted Friday, July 21, 2006
European ombudsman: EU Commission hiding documents is "maladministration"
Following a complaint by Friends of the Earth the European Ombudsman decided that the EU Commission must not conceal documents in disupte settlement cases at the WTO from the public. The Commission had defended itself against US allegations at the WTO by poving that GM foods were not safe but refused to publish these documents.
FOE: European Commission guilty of wrongly concealing GMO documents
European Ombudsman Decision
posted Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Russia: Putin expresses concerns about GMOs
At a Civil Society forum to prepare the G8 summit in St. Petersburg Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed to be "among likeminded people" with regard to the issue of GMOs. He said: "One of the problems we have encountered during our negotiations on joining the World Trade Organisation is that we are being forced to renounce what I see as our right to inform our own public about products manufactured using genetic engineering. Some countries have made it one of their main demands that we stop informing our public about genetically modified products. You can guess which countries I am referring to. But we will insist on using the standards that the NGOs are proposing." The NGOs had proposed a moratorium on releases of GMOs and demanded full transparency.
Transcript of Vladimir Putins elaborations at the G8 Civil Society summit
GMO-Recommendations of the G8 Civil Society Forum in St. Petersburg 3-4 July 2006
posted Thursday, July 06, 2006
