Assembly can still take action to stop GM

Friends of the Earth Cymru has condemned the World Trade Organisation (WTO) draft ruling that Europe broke trade rules by restricting the import of GM crops and food into the EU [1]. The group has called on the Welsh Assembly to stick to it's anti-GM principles and take further legal and political action to protect Wales' farmers, the environment and consumers.

The United States, Canada and Argentina launched a trade dispute with the EU through the WTO in May 2003. They have been arguing that Europe's reluctance to embrace GM foods damaged their farmers and was a barrier to trade. In line with WTO secrecy, the draft ruling has only be sent to the countries in the dispute, though key parts have been leaked to the media.

Although the ruling will make it politically more difficult for Wales, and other regions of the EU, to declare themselves GM Free, Friends of the Earth Cymru is calling on the Assembly Government to take what action it can under the law while campaigning with other regions of Europe for greater powers.

The next GM issue to be dealt with by the Assembly will be a consultation on "coexistence" measures - laws to minimise contamination of conventional crops when GM varieties are grown. Friends of the Earth Cymru, along with the Farmers' Union of Wales, GM Free Cymru and the National Federation of Women's Institutes - Wales, is calling for the Assembly to pass tough legislation which would give meaningful protection to farmers [2]. The Assembly Government is expected to release a consultation document in the spring. It has already indicated a desire to take tougher action than the UK Government.

Friends of the Earth Cymru Director, Julian Rosser, commented:

"This doesn't end here. The Assembly can still legislate to give the best protection possible to Welsh farmers and the Assembly Government should continue working with other regions of Europe to win the right to be GM Free. Meanwhile, Welsh consumers can still choose to reject GM products and demand meat and dairy products from animals fed on GM Free diets.

"This case also points to the dangers of giving so many powers over our lives to the World Trade Organisation. The WTO should keep its hands off our food. Protecting Europe's wildlife, farmers and consumers from the threat of genetically modified crops is far more important than free trade rules. The WTO is secretive, undemocratic and unfair. It is not fit to decide what the public eats and how we protect our environment.

"Assembly Members should stop burying their heads in the sand and ignoring the debate about international trade rules. If they don't then they will finally come out of their trance to find they have a fancy new debating chamber and no powers."

Notes

[1] A special media briefing on the GM trade dispute is available at
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/ ¬
GMO_and_WTO_interim_briefing_Feb2006.pdf
as well as a fact sheet on GMOs and the WTO, see
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/ ¬
GMO_and_WTO_QA_Feb2006.pdf

[2] See: www.foe.co.uk/resource/marketing_material/ ¬
stop_gm_contamination.pdf