Archived press release
Go to our press releases area for our current press releases.
Gwyther in a dither. Welsh Agriculture Secretary bottles out of Assembly decision on GM
29 March 2000
Welsh Agriculture Secretary Christine Gwyther has ignored a recommendation from the Assembly's Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee and supported inclusion of a key GM crop on the National Seed List. This decision paves the way for commercial licensing of GM crops for growing in the UK.
The Committee voted by 6 to 0 (Conservatives, Lib Dem, Plaid in favour - Labour abstaining) to refuse to include Aventis' T25 GM fodder maize on the List. Friends of the Earth provided the Assembly with a legal opinion showing that refusal was within its powers under devolution law.
But Ms Gwyther has u-turned on her previous stated opposition to GM food and allowed listing of the maize. FOE has said that it will “pursue every possible avenue” to overturn her decision. It is calling on all Assembly members to pursue their rights as citizens of Wales to object to Ms Gwyther's decision and call for a public hearing on the listing.
Commenting, Raoul Bhambral of FOE Cymru said:
“We are deeply disappointed by Ms Gwyther's decision. It is an abject surrender to pressure from Downing Street. The Assembly gave a clear no to listing the Aventis maize. FOE proved that Wales had the power to say no. Public opinion in Wales clearly supported us. But Ms Gwyther has done the dirty deed on behalf of London politicians and the biotech industry, despite her previous clear statements in support of a GM free Wales.”
NOTES
1. A number of hurdles have to be cleared before a GM crop can be commercially grown. First it must obtain an EU marketing consent under GMO rules. It then has to get Novel Food approval and be put on the National Seed List. Prior to Ms Gwyther's decision, Aventis' GM T25 maize has jumped the first two hurdles but not the third.
If you're a journalist looking for press information please contact the Friends of the Earth media team on 020 7566 1649.
Published by Friends of the Earth Trust
Last modified: Jul 2008
