Unelected EU Commission approves GM sweet corn

Hain must explain to Assembly says Friends of the Earth Cymru

Friends of the Earth today hit out at the European Commission [1] after it gave its approval to the first new genetically modified (GM) food in Europe for over five years. The environmental campaign group said the decision to approve the controversial GM sweet corn [2] is likely to strengthen consumer opposition to GM food and crops.

Friends of the Earth Cymru has called on Welsh Secretary Peter Hain to explain to the National Assembly why the UK Government has undermined its anti-GM stance by supporting the application.

Last month European agriculture ministers failed to reach agreement on whether to approve the GM sweet corn following concerns about its safety [3]. Despite these worries from member states, the European Commission has decided to approve the sweet corn for import as a food and animal feed (not for growing in the EU).

Despite today's approval, Friends of the Earth says there is little future for GM food and crops in Europe because public opposition to GM is so high.

Consumers say no

There is virtually no market for GM foods in Europe as consumers have overwhelmingly rejected them. New EU labelling and traceability regulations came into force on April 18th giving consumers better information to decide. Official opinion polls show that 94.6% of EU citizens want the right to choose and 70.9% simply do not want GM food [4]. In Britain, the Government's GM Nation? public debate showed that 86% of people who responded didn't want to eat GM food.

GM Free Regions

Initiatives to ban GM crops from being grown have now started in at least 22 European countries with some regions introducing their own legislation to ban the crops. Over 50 local authorities in the UK have now passed resolutions opposing GM crops and foods in their area including Denbighshire, Pembrokeshire, Flintshire, Ceredigion, Cornwall , Shropshire , Hampshire and the Lake District National Park Authority [5].

GM industry in retreat

The biotechnology industry sees no future in Europe . Last week Monsanto withdrew their GM wheat after selling their European cereal business last year. Last month Bayer withdrew plans to grow GM maize - after the Welsh Assembly refused to rush through marketing approval before safeguards were in place. Applications to test GM crops outdoors have reduced by 80% since 1997. No GM crops have been tested in Wales since 2001.

Exports lost

Countries that have planted GM crops on a large scale have seen their exports to Europe crash. Maize from the US to Europe has declined from 3.3 million tonnes in 1995 to just 25,000 tonnes in 2002. Canada has lost all of its oilseed rape (canola) market to Europe , worth an estimated $300 million [6].

Friends of the Earth Europe's GM campaigner Adrian Bebb said:

"The European Commission is gambling with the health of European consumers. Member states remain divided over the long term safety of this GM sweet corn, yet the Commission wants to force it down our throats. The public won't swallow this arrogance. Hostility to GM food and crops is likely to grow, and public confidence in EU decision-making will be damaged."

Friends of the Earth Cymru's Director, Julian Rosser said:

"The Commission has let EU citizens down, as has the UK Government which has consistently backed this GM food against the wishes of the British public. The Government keeps telling us that we have to accept GM food and crops because of the European Union yet it is one of the most pro-GM in Europe .

"The National Assembly for Wales has been struggling to protect Welsh consumers and agriculture from the risks of these poorly tested crops while the UK Government seeks to pull the rug from under its feet at every turn. Peter Hain should go to the Assembly to explain why his Government wants to force GM food and crops onto the people of Wales ."

Notes

1. The Commission is the executive arm of the European Union.

2. The GM sweetcorn, has been engineered by Swiss-based Syngenta to include a deadly insecticide.

3. www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/ ¬
gm_maize_eu_ministers_fail_26042004.html

4. http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/ ¬
press/2001/pr0612en-report.pdf (PDF† format)

5. http://www.gmfreebritain.com/ and http://www.gmofree-europe.org/

6. European Commission regrets US decision, Press release 13 May 2003

†To view PDF files you will need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader. Visually impaired users can get extra help with these documents from access.adobe.com.