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Rough seas on Thursday forced Greenpeace activists to give up a blockade of a ship they say carried 25,000 tonnes of genetically modified Argentinian soya to Poland. However an "unlikely coalition" is emerging against GM imports in Poland.</p><p><a href="http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-11-17T201037Z_01_SCH772582_RTRUKOC_0_US-FOOD-POLAND-GMO.xml&archived=False">Reuters</a></p><p><a href="http://www.radio.com.pl/polonia/article.asp?tId=29912&j=2">Polish Radio: Greepeace and the conservative government form an unlikely alliance</a>

Swiss voters go to the polls on November 27 to review a measure that would impose one of the strictest bans in Europe on the use of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs. The referendum, if approved, would impose a five-year moratorium on the cultivation of any plant or import of any animal whose genes have been altered in the laboratory.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/33477/story.htm">Reuters</a>

The EU feed companies association FEFAC warned that the 2 billion market of Argentinian GM-soybean imports could be jeopardised if Argentinian farmers did not draw a deal with Monsanto. The company has lately sued importers of GM soybeans for seed royalties, Argentinian farmers had not payed.</p><p><a href="http://www.world-grain.com/feature_stories.asp?ArticleID=76715">World-Grain.com: FEFAC urges quick deal on Argentine GM soybean seed royalties</a>

Barry McSweeney was removed from his post as chief scientific advisor of the Irish government after revelations that his PhD was fabricated by a US "degree mill". Initially coming from an Irish biotech company McSweeney had been Director of the European Union Joint Research Centre (JRC) 2001 - 2004 and was instrumental for the institutions pro-GMO approach. In 2002 he even advised the Commission not to publish a JRC-report on GMOs in agriculture, which had revealed massive problems of coexistence and is now the most quoted scientific source on the issue.</p><p><a href="http://www.examiner.ie/pport/web/ireland/Full_Story/did-sg3giU7lXaGlIsgHuTLc4nqWo2.asp">Irish Examiner: What a difference a day makes...</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFI22.pdf">GM free Ireland Press release with all background</a>

French anti-GMO activist, Jose Bove, has been found guilty of destroying genetically modified crops. Bove was sentenced to four months by an appeals court on Tuesday. He was accused of helping to uproot a field of GM maize near the southwestern French city of Toulouse in July 2004.</p><p><a href="http://www.kwqc.com/Global/story.asp?S=4121235&nav=7k7NJ1IJ">KWQC: Militant French farmer sentenced to prison for ripping up GMO crop</a>

In his inaugural speech to the Seijm Polands new prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz yielded ovations of the Parliament when announcing he would keep the country gmo free.</p><p><a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-11/11/content_3764791.htm">Xinhua: Poland parliment approves minoirty govt</a>

Polish farmer Marian Zagorny, who stood in court to get more than 1 year in jail for attempting to block illegal shipments of GM grain and protesting factory farming of pigs, left the court as a free man. The court agreed that the actions were done to protect Polish agriculture and health. Marian was very happy and sends many thanks also on behalf of his farmers union 'Solidarni' to all who sent letters of support.</p><p>The Province of Opole in the South West Poland has now become the 14th Polish Province to declare itself a GMO Free Zone. There are now only two provinces left which have not declared themselves GMO Free. It brings the total number of Provinces to have declared GMO Free status to approximately 90% of the total area of Poland.</p><p><a href="http://www.icppc.pl/eng/index.php">International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside (ICPPC)</a>

Farmers in the Czech Republic have begun growing genetically engineered (GE) corn for the first time, and they could start selling it as early as next year.</p><p><a href="http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2005/Art/1103/news5.php">The Prague Post</a>

The European Commission has authorised the placing on the market of the genetically modified maize 1507. The authorisation covers the import and processing of this GMO, including its use in animal feed.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/1366&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">EU Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/news/ng.asp?n=63675-eu-gm-crops">food production daily: EU GM approval cannot hide widespread opposition</a>

The Municipal Council of Santa Cruz in the Province of Guanacaste inCosta Rica, declared itself GE Free the 24th of October.This is the second GE Free Municipality in Costa Rica, after the decision of the Council of Paraíso de CartagoThe decision to ban any GE crop inside Santa Cruz, was taken by all the members of the Council unanimously.</p><p><a href="http://www.organicconsumers.org/biod/costarica102605.cfm">2nd County in Costa Rica goes GE Free</a>