GMO news related to the European Union

After successful action days against GMOs in 2004 and 2005 international grassroots organisers with a focus in France are calling for the organisation of an International day of opposition to GMOs in spring 2006. A preparatory meeting will be held in Montreuil on October 20th.</p><p><a href="http://altercampagne.free.fr">Altercampagne homepage</a>

The EU council of agricultural ministers on Oct 25th will vote on a Commission proposal to overturn the ban of Mon810 GM maize varieties, which had been inscribed in the Unions Common seed catalogue. The ministers will also vote on the approval of Monsantos MON863 bt maize for import as food and feed. In both cases no qualified majority against the Commissions proposals are expected so far.</p><p><a href="http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100012_13/10/2005_61831">Kathimerini: GM corn could make the menu</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/en/frame.php?page=/dossier/17_seed_varieties_com_catalogue_en">SOS Dossier on GM seed variety approvals and bans</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/en/frame.php?page=/dossier/fact_sheet_mon_863">SOS fact sheet on Mon863</a>

At a Greenpeace press conference in Bucharest, Monsanto's former general manager in Romania warned that Romanian authorities have totally lost control over genetically modified organisms in the country. GM soybeans were grown on much larger areas than registered, but also unapproved GMOs such as potatoes and even plums were found.</p><p><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/1010-01.htm">Greenpeace: Genetically Engineered Organisms Out of Control in Romania</a>

Consumer, environmental and health organisations challenged the European Food Safety Authority to put public and environmental safety before commercial interests as the agency opens its first stakeholder dialogue at its new office in Parma, Italy.The organisations urge EFSA to make serious changes in its work and procedures, in particular regarding genetically modified crops and food. So far the central EU agency has rubber-stamped all GM crop approvals and dismissed concerns of NGOs, scientists and national safety authorities.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/joint_06_Oct_EFSA.htm">Joint Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.efsa.eu.int/stakeholder_stakeholder_consultative_platform/consultative_platform/catindex_en.html">EFSA: Stakeholder consultative platform</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2005/EFSA_stakeholders_challenge.pdf">GP. FOE, Euro-Coop, EEB, EPHA: Detailed EFSA challenge</a>

The European Court of Justice today rejected a general GMO prohibition law of the Region of Upper Austria. Upper Austria wanted a total ban on cultivating genetically modified crops to protect conventional and organic crops, as well as wildlife, from potential contamination. In 2003 the EU Commission refused, arguing Austria had presented no new scientific evidence to support such a ban, and could not opt out of EU-wide rules of GMO risk assessment and approval. The Austrian complaint against the Commissions verdict has now been rejected by the Court. The government of the Region announced it would find other means to stay GMO free.</p><a href="http://curia.eu.int/jurisp/cgi-bin/gettext.pl?where=&lang=en&num=79948994T19040235&doc=T&ouvert=T&seance=ARRET">ECJ: Judgement Upper Austria vs. EU Commission</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/ECJ_Upper_austria_06_10_2005.pdf">SOS update on Upper Austrian case against the EU Commission</a><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/HH_05_Oct_ECJ.htm">Friends of the Earth: Commission urged to review EU law</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/03/1194&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">Commission decision 2 September 2003</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/news/nachrichten/2005_10_05_archiv.html#112850513825464652">more details in German</a>

On the 9th of September 2005 the Assembly of Marshals of the Polish Provinces (*) accepted a statement concerning the planting of genetically modified plants (GMO) in Poland. "The Polish Government should prepare a motion to the European Commission to ban the import of genetically modified products in all areas of the country," the regional representatives conclude.</p><p><a href="http://www.gmo-free-regions.org/countries/poland/poland.html">full story</a>

A dialogue-meeting between the GMO free Network of the regional and local Autorities of Europe and the EU Commissions DG AGRI will be held on the subject of coexistence of genetically modified crops with traditional and organic farming in Brussels on September 28th at the Central Italian Region's bureau in Brussels.Further information: riccardo.russu@arsia.toscana.it

On 3 September 2005, farmers from Yamagata Prefecture and consumers from Miyagi Prefecture gathered in Sendai city in Miyagi, and set up the "GMO Free Zone Declaration - Tohoku Network" (Rep. Nobuyuki Nakagawa, Takahata Conference for Promotion of Organic Agriculture). It was the first fully-fledged trans-regional GMO Free Zone declaration in Japan. On the same day, the network adopted a protest appeal to oppose Tohoku University's iron-deficiency tolerant GM rice field trials.</p><p><a href="http://www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~cbic/english/index.html">Bio-Journal</a>

An international conference on this issue was organised by Consumers International and the Region of Emilia-Romana. About 450 people from Europe, the USA and Asia attended and discussed scientific evidence on GM contamination and political strategies how to avoid it.</p><a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/Templates/Internal.asp?NodeID=94114&int1stParentNodeID=89650&int2ndParentNodeID=89677&int3rdParentNodeID=92710&int4thParentNodeID=92710&int5thParentNodeID=92710&int6thParentNodeID=92710&int7thParentNodeID=92710&int8thParentNodeID=92710&strSubSite=1&strLHSMenu=89650">Consumers International - Appeal to EC and world for caution over GMO contamination</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodconsumer.org/777/8/_GMO_and_consumer_experts_converge_in_Bologna.shtml">foodconsumers report</a></p><p><a href="http://www.consumersinternational.org/Templates/News.asp?NodeID=94236&int1stParentNodeID=89650&int2ndParentNodeID=89677">Conference website at Consumer International</a>

Ukraine's Farm Ministry said it would ask the government and the parliament to ban imports and planting of genetically modified soybeans in the country.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/32416/story.htm">Reuters: Ukraine Agriculture Ministry Seeks to Ban GMO Soy Imports</a>