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"The existing European regulatory framework is far from exhaustive. There is absolutely no EU regulation designed at preventing the contamination of conventional crops by authorised GM seeds, the only way to protect both producers and consumers in all EU countries," the AER stated in a reaction to the Commissions anouncement to go ahead with GMO aprovals</p><p><a href="http://www.gmo-free-regions.org/Downloads/aer-press-24-03-05.pdf">AER press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmofree-conference.org/Index.htm">Conference: Saveguarding coexistence, gmo free zones and the promotion of quality food produce in europe</a>

For four years GMO giant Syngenta sold and used a Bt maize variety, which had never been approved. "All current plantings and seed stock have been identified and either destroyed or isolated for future destruction," the company announced and said the unapproved "Bt10" maize could have been exported to Canada, Argentina, Japan, South Africa, Uruguay, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, the Philippines, China, Russia, and South Korea. Hull said Syngenta informed the U.S. government about the mix-up between the Bt10 and Bt11 varieties in "mid-December," but did not inform the public because "this is not a food safety issue whatsoever." EU official played down the significance of the problem</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/dossier/syngenta_bt10.html">Saveourseeds Dossier on the Syngenta case (continously updated)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58449-2005Mar22.html">Washington Post: Syngenta Says It Sold Wrong Biotech Corn</a></p><p><a href="http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/050322/15/3rfnr.html">Dow Jones: USDA Investigates Sale Of Unapproved Corn Seed By Syngenta</a></p><p><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050321/full/nature03570.html">Nature: US launches probe into sales of unapproved transgenic corn</a></p><p><a href="http://www.syngenta.com/en/media/article.aspx?pr=032205&Lang=en">Syngenta statement</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/AB_23_March_Syngenta.htm">Friends of the Earth Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30065/story.htm">Reuters: EU Says Unapproved Syngenta GMO Maize Sets No Risk</a>

The new European Commission agreed today to:- push through new approvals of GM foods irrespective of the lack of consensus of EU member states- submit to the Environment Council proposals to force countries to lift their bans on GM products- go ahead with the approval of new GM crops also for cultivationNo agreement was reported on co-existence and seed purity issues</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/355&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">Commission statement</a></p><p><a href="http://saveourseeds.org/downloads/COM_draft_GMO_23_03_05.pdf">Internal Commission orientation Paper</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/104&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">Commission: Questions and Answers on the Regulation of GMOs in the European Union</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/AB_22_March_European_Commission.htm">Friends of the Earth PR: European Commission to ram GM foods through</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30030/story.htm">Reuters via PlanetArk: EU States Overruled on GMOs by Own Deadlock</a></p><p><a href="http://www.euobserver.com/?sid=9&aid=18717">EU Observer: Commission set to push ahead with new GMOs</a>

Major European NGOs demanded a new GMO policy from the EU Commission, respecting the public opinion and needs of European farmers and regions. They especially criticised the Commissions co-existence approach. A legal opinion presented accuses the Commission of "advising Member States to adopt coexistence measures that are incompatible with the aims of present EU legislation"</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/ngo_pr_coex_21_03_05.pdf">Press release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/Paul_Lasok_coex_legaladv_2_04.pdf">Legal advise, Paul Lasok</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/ngo_letter_coex_21_03_05.pdf">Greenpeace, FOE, Soil association et. al: Open letter to EU Commissioners</a>

Poland has officially decided to ban the release of the only remaining EU approved GM maize, Monsantos Mon810. It joins Hungary and Austria, who have already banned the variety</p><p><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/03/22/business/gmo.html">Int. Herald Tribune: Poland bans biotech maize</a></p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=7971810">Reuters: Poland to ban Monsanto GMO maize seed</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/GP_PRmon810Poland.pdf">Greenpeace Press Release</a>

Mazowieckie Province (with capitol Warsaw),with a population of over five million, has become the sixth Province in Poland whose local authorities have passed a resolution declaring themselves a GMO Free Zone.Similar decisions were made by the boards of Podkarpackie, Malopolska (Krakow), Podlaskie (Bialystok), Lubelskie (Lublin) and Kajawsko-Pomorskie (Torun). Further, strong declarations of intent against GMO's have been made by the main farmers organisation in Donaslaskie. Together with single communities in different parts of Poland, in total almost half the Polish population are now living in an area where local authorities have declared GMO Free Zones.Another four Provinces are currently taking steps in this direction</p><p><a href="http://icppc.pl/pl/gmo/eng_index.php">Source: ICPPC</a>

Estonian Council of Environmental NGOs (EKO), Estonian Farmers' Federation, Fund of Organic Agriculture, Center for Ecological Technologies, and Consumers' Organisations from four cities, are launching 10.03.2005 a campaign for establishment of GMO-free zones, which helps farmers to show, that they want to be GMO-free</p><p><a href="mailto:nastja@elfond.ee">For further information please contact Nastja Pertsjonok</a>

At the council of environment ministers Mrch 10th Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Belgium, Greece, Poland, Luxembourg, Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia supported Austrian criticism of the EU Commissions policy on Monsantos Bt-maize Mon810, the only GMO presently allowed for cultivation in the EU. Austria and Hungary have banned Mon810 nationally against the 1998 EU approval. Poland also banned all 17 Mon810 varieties recently aproved by the Commission in the Common seed catalogue. Austria argues that no monitoring plan is in place and, as the old approval did not follow the new rules on GMOs, it had to be re-assessed in 2006 anyway. In the light of new scientific arguments against the safety of the plant, the 13 member states suggest to withold releases in 2005</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/at_council_Mon810_march05.pdf">Austrian submission to the Council on Mon 810</a></p><p><a href="http://eu.greenpeace.org/downloads/gmo/PRonBroadSupportForAustrianGMOConcerns.pdf">Greenpeace press release</a>

Hungarian seed producers warned farmers on Wednesday about a suspected illegal inflow of genetically modified maize seed from Romania and called for government measures to stem it</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/29804/story.htm">Reuters via Planet Ark, 03 March 2005</a>

While the majority of Armenia's population seems not yet concerned about Genetically Modified Organisms, some environmentalists and consumer rights activists are looking for ways to prevent import of such products. They want to see Armenia, like a number of European countries, become a GMO free zone</p><p><a href="http://www.armenianow.com/eng/?go=pub&id=581">Armenia Now, 25 Feb 2005</a>