Archived press release

Lake district national park to host GM debate

19 February 2003

The Lake District National Park Authority [LDNPA] is to host a major conference on GM crops to consider becoming GM-free. The conference could lead to the Lake District and other national park authorities, asking the Government and European Commission to help make National Parks GM-free areas.

The decision to hold a conference was taken following today's meeting of the LDNPA's Policy and Overview Committee. The Committee discussed a motion from South Lakeland Friends of the Earth, for the Authority to make use of a new EU directive which allows the Commission to exempt areas from the growing of any particular GM crops if there are good reasons for doing so. Under Article 19(3)(c) of the EU GMO deliberate release directive 2001/18 "particular ecosystems/ environments and or geographical areas" can be afforded "protection" from GM crops.

The Committee also agreed that it would write to the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs asking to be consulted on future decisions on the release of GM crops.

South Lakeland Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Marianne Bennett said

"We are delighted that the Lake District National Park is taking this issue so seriously. The authority has a clear duty to safeguard the park's environment. This must include doing what it can to protect it from GM pollution. Under the EU Deliberate Release Directive, it can ask the Commission to ensure that GM crops are not grown in there area. We hope that the Lake District and other national park authorities will take advantage of this opportunity."

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

"GM food and crops are deeply unpopular. That is why local authorities across the country are discussing what they can do to protect their food, farms and environment from GM crops. Serious doubts exist about the safety and long-term impacts of GM crops and food. The Government must listen to people's concerns and not allow GM crops to be commercially grown in the UK."

In October last year Friends of the Earth launched its GM-Free Britain Campaign to persuade local authorities to take action against GM food and crops in their area. This includes:

• Writing to the European Commission and the Government asking them to prevent particular GM crops being grown in their area to protect the environment.
• Ensuring that no GM crops are grown on land which they control;
• Adopting a GM-free policy for all goods and services for which the authority is responsible, for example ensuring that school caterers provide GM-free food to schools;

Last week South Hams District Council in South Devon voted to ask the Commission and the Government to protect it from the growing of GM crops under the EU directive. Devon County Council has also discussed the issue and has called on the Government to ban the commercial implementation of GM technology until scientific evidence has shown there are no harmful effects. It has also introduced policies to avoid GM food and crops [3]. And the South West Regional Assembly may discuss the issue when it meets next month. Calls to go GM-free are also being discussed by a number of other authorities - though the Lake District is the first National Park to consider the issue.

For more information on Friends of the Earth's GM-Free Britain Campaign see: www.gmfreebritain.com

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