Archived press release

European comission to force through new GM food

22 March 2005

Friends of the Earth attacked the European Commission today over its newly announced policy to force through genetically modified (GM) foods despite overwhelming public opposition. The environmental campaigners accused the EC of putting business interests ahead of the safety of the public and environment, describing today's announcement as "a bad day for consumers, democracy and the environment."

The new European Commission agreed today to:

• push through new approvals of GM foods regardless of the lack of
• consensus over their safety by EU member states;
• submit to the Environment Council proposals to get countries to lift their bans on GM products;
• approve GM crops for cultivation without proper legislation to avoid the contamination of the countryside by GMOs (so called "coexistence")

Friends of the Earth believes the Commission should have instead:

• Stopped all approvals in order to re-evaluate safety concerns raised by member states and the public;
• Introduced EU legislation that would prevent contamination from fields of GM crops and ensure biotech companies are liable for any damage caused by their products;
• Allow regions a say in whether GM crops should be grown

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

"The European Commission is more interested in supporting big business than food safety and the environment. Consumers do not want to eat GM food, regions across Europe don't want GM crops and Member States refuse to support new GM applications. But this has all been ignored by the Commission. This is a bad day for consumers, democracy and the environment."

Key facts

• According to Eurobarometer 70% of the public don't want to eat GM foods
• 23 out of the 25 member states are against the growing of GM oilseed rape, Bayer does not want to proceed, but the Commission nevertheless wants to press ahead and has submitted it to a scientific panel for their opinion(1).
• The final results of the world's largest experiments of GM crops were published in the UK yesterday. These showed that there were less bees and butterflies in the GM winter oilseed rape trialed than in non-GM fields. (2)
• A legal opinion published yesterday showed that the European Commission's policy on the coexistence of GM crops with conventional crops is "fundamentally flawed" and "wrong in law". (3)

Commission statement

Notes

1. Biotech firm rejects gm crop

2. GM crop trial blow to biotech industry

3. www.foeeurope.org/press/2005/UKpressrelease21march.doc

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Published by Friends of the Earth Trust