Petition of GMO free regions and areas
A petition for regional self-determination on cultivating genetically modified crops has been launched by various participants of the European GMO free regions conference in Berlin, 22/23rd of January 2005 and was also endorsed by the Network of European Regions and local authorities at their meeting in Florence, 4th of February 2005. The petitions goal is to make the voices of the Regions of Europe being heard in Brussels and in the capitals of Europe and to demand the right of regions to protect their GMO free agriculture and landscapes from GMO cultivation and contamination.
The Regions of Tuscany and Upper-Austria as organisers of the European Regions network, the Assembly of European Regions and GENET (the European NGO Network on Genetic Engineering) are now seeking signatures to this petition from European regional, sub-regional and local authorities and elected bodies and from GMO free regions, directly organised by farmers. They are also seeking signatures of support from agricultural, environmental, consumer and scientific organisations and institutions.The petition is not meant to be signed by individuals.
To sign the petition regional and local authorities and institutions should send a signed and stamped version of the petition to the Conference Secretariat. For more information contact the 
Conference Secretariat.
Download the petition in:
English Italiano Español Deutsch Français Magyar Neederlands Polska Português Euskara
Text of the Petition
GMO free regions and Across the European Union, thousands of local and regional government authorities want to exclude the growing of genetically modified (GM) crops in their area. The reasons for taking such an initiative include:
- concerns about the many scientific uncertainties surrounding the long term safety of GM foods and the effect on the environment of growing GM crops;
- the clear difficulties of growing GM crops without contaminating traditional, conventional, and organic crops, and the economic effects this will have on the agri-food sector;
- the demands from their citizens for GM-free food and a GM-free local environment;
Current European law fails to protect these local and regional government authorities. And internationally, there is increasing pressure to force GM crops into the European Union, especially via the US-led trade dispute at the World Trade Organisation.
WE, the undersigned, believe that in order to protect our local economy, culture, environment and health of our citizens, EU law must include the democratic right of local and regional governments to decide whether GM crops can be cultivated in their given area.
We also belief, that there should be no EU wide approvals for the cultivation of GMOs until these matters are resolved and that there should be strict labelling regulations for any presence of GMOs in conventional and organic seeds at the practical detection limit.
More details can also be found at 
FOE's GMO-free Europe website
