Archived press release

Euro blow to GM oil seed rape

28 January 2004

The commercial development of GM spring oilseed rape was dealt a heavy blow today when Belgian GM advisors outlined serious concerns about its impact on the environment. The GM oil seed rape, which was found to damage farmland wildlife when grown in the UK Farm Scale Evaluations (FSE) [1], is currently being assessed for commercial growing in Europe. Friends of the Earth says that the Belgian authorities now have little choice than to reject the application by biotech firm Bayer.

In a separate development The European Commission today gave its backing to a proposal to allow a type of GM maize (known as BT11) to be imported as food into Europe. Friends of the Earth has serious concerns about the quality of the application [2]. EU ministers now have three months to consider the proposal. The Commission also supported allowing GM contamination in conventional seeds. Friends of the Earth attacked the Commission pointing out that European consumers do not want to eat GM food.

GM Oil Seed Rape

Bayer has applied to the Belgian authorities for a Europe-wide commercial licence, the first to be considered for growing since approvals were halted in 1998. If Belgium turns down the application, it effectively rejects it for the whole of Europe. If it approves the application, it is then considered by all member states. Both European [3] and Belgian law outlaws GM crops that may cause damage to the environment.

The advice, published today by the Belgium Biosafety Council, says that Bayers GM oilseed rape, which has been engineered to resist the companys own herbicide [4], risks wider GM contamination. The report says: "gene flow will occur in and outside the field, resulting in…herbicide-tolerant oilseed rape volunteers, feral oilseed rape populations and wild relatives". It continues [1] grown land wildlife in npe volunteers, feral oilseed rape populations and wild relatives"evaluated the next stage difficulties"negative consequences on biodiversity may not be controlled" and that agricultural guidelines for farmers growing the crop are "impracticable, hardly workable and hard to control". Containing the crop will be "hard to avoid" and that the long-term effects are "hard to predict".

The advice also highlights the threats to conventional and organic farmers "it is hard to avoid the adventitious presence of GM material in neighbouring non-GM oilseed rape fields resulting in difficulties for the coexistence of GM, conventional and organic oilseed rape crops including legal and socio-economic issues".

Belgian Ministers will now make the final decision on approving or rejecting the crop by Monday (2 February). If Ministers ignore the serious concerns raised by their advisors and approve the application, it will progress to the second stage for consideration by all member states.

Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Clare Oxborrow said:

"The advice from Belgian experts is clear. Allowing GM oil seed rape to be commercially grown will damage the environment. Belgian ministers now have little option under EU law than to reject this dangerous application and take an important step in ensuring a GM-free future for the UK and Europe."

Commenting on the EU Commission's backing for a proposal to allow imports of GM maize, Clare Oxborrow said:

"The EU Commission has caved in to pressure from the USA and big biotech firms. European consumers do not want GM food. If GM maize is imported it will make it harder for companies to supply GM-free food. Member States must stand firm, listen to the public and reject this biotech-backed recommendation."

Notes

[1] The Advisory Committee for Releases to the Environment (ACRE) issued its advice to Government on the Farm Scale Evaluations on 13 January www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/fse/index.htm. The report showed that GM herbicide tolerant spring oilseed rape and sugar beet caused significant damage to farmland wildlife and should not be approved commercially. The FSE results showed weed cover and the production of weed seeds seriously declined under the GM management regime as did insects such as butterflies.

[2] Friends of the Earth briefing available.

[3] The Deliberate Release Directive 2001/18/EC

[4] www.conseil-biosecurite.be/bac_advices.html

[5] Friends of the Earth believes that no GM crops ( including GM crop trials) should be planted in the UK until legally enforceable rules are in place to prevent contamination of organic and conventional crops, and to determine who is liable if things go wrong. Friends of the Earth supports Conservative MP Gregory Barker who has brought forward a Bill to set such rules. It will be debated in Parliament on 26th March 2004. It is not known whether the Government will support this Bill or not.

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