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USDA on Thursday certified tests from Bayer CropScience that detects when an unapproved genetically modified rice known as LLRICE 601 is present in commercial rice. One test could cost as much as $300, but it is uncertain who will pay for the testing, U.S. Agriculture Department said.</p><p><a href="http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=scienceNews&storyID=2006-08-25T215714Z_01_N25225472_RTRIDST_0_SCIENCE-FOOD-BAYER-RICE-DC.XML&archived=False">Reuters: Test to detect Bayer GMO rice could cost $300: USDA</a>

The European Commission has adopted a decision requiring imports of long grain rice from the USA to be certified as free from the unauthorised GMO LL Rice 601. The emergency measures adopted by the Commission mean that, with immediate effect, only consignments of US long grain rice that have been tested by an accredited laboratory using a validated testing method and accompanied by a certificate assuring the absence of LL Rice 601, can enter the EU.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/06/1120&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">Commission requires certification of US rice exports to stop unauthorised GMO entering the EU</a>

The US Agricultural Department announced that an unapproved rice variety "LL 601" genetically engineered by Bayer Crop Science has contaminated US rice stocks. Japan has cut off rice imports from the US. US rice exports are around 1 billion US $ annually. Other nations are expected to follow. How the GM rice, which has been dropped in 2001, has reached the supply chain is still unknown. Bayer announced as a reaction that it would now seek approval for the GM rice as safe food. Bayer had informed USDA already July 31st. But the ministry and the company withheld the informationform the public until August 18th.</p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/18/AR2006081801043.html">Washington Post: U.S. Rice Supply Contaminated</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=69991-bayer-cropscience-ge-rice-contamination-rice">Food Navigator: GM rice contaminates US food supply</a></p><p><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/20/ap/business/mainD8JJSCL00.shtml">CBS: Japan closes market for US long corn rice</a></p><p><a href="http://www.usda.gov/2006/08/0306.xml">USDA press release: Genetically engineered rice</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEX/06/0821&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">EU Commission: Trace amounts of non-authorised GM rice on US market</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2006/AB_21_Aug_US_rice.html">FoE Press Release: EU urged to ban North American rice</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6914">GMWatch: Background on testing practices and significance of the case</a>

The Parliament fiercely discusses a bill that would prevent local governments from banning GMOs on their territory.</p><p><a href="http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/12598244p-13305729c.html">Fresno Bee: Environmentalists, organic farmers in duel with growers over bill</a>

The first destruction of a commercial field of GM maize by activists of "Coordination Paysanne" was countered by a protest of pro-GM farmers.</p><p><a href="http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/fn/4084473.html">AP: Genetically Modified Crops Vandalized</a></p><p><a href="http://www.agbios.com/main.php?action=ShowNewsItem&id=7720">Reuters: French Farmers Protest Against GMO Maize Destruction</a></p><p><a href="http://www.upi.com/ConsumerHealthDaily/view.php?StoryID=20060802-060354-6824r">UPI: Eat To Live - GM cornfields under attack</a>

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.</p><p><a href="http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jul2006/2006-07-27-02.asp">Fighting Secrecy Over Transgenic Crops, Greenpeace Carves a Circle</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/crop-circle-270706">Greenpeace international map and press release</a>

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.<br /><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/polish_GMfeed_ban_aug2006.pdf">ICPPC: Ban on GM feed in Poland</a>

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.</p><p><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/07/21/ngm21.xml">Daily Telegraph: Plans to allow GM farming in secret 'are irresponsible'</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeze.org/page.asp?id=301&iType=">GM Freeze: DEFRA GM Growing Proposals Condemned As Charter for Contamination</a></p><p><a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm%2Dcoexist/"></a>DEFRA co-existence consultation web-site

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.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2006/AB_18_July_Ombudsman.htm">FOE: European Commission guilty of wrongly concealing GMO documents</a></p><p><a href="http://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/decision/en/050582.htm">European Ombudsman Decision</a>

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.</p><p><a href="http://en.g8russia.ru/page_work/20.html">Transcript of Vladimir Putins elaborations at the G8 Civil Society summit</a></p><p><a href="http://en.civilg8.ru/1997.php">GMO-Recommendations of the G8 Civil Society Forum in St. Petersburg 3-4 July 2006</a>