This is a major development in the struggle over GMO foods being imposed on
those who don't want them. Note the concern over GMO plants invading areas
where they are not cultivated.
Tom Mathews
Quote:
"This is an important result for New Europe. This vote shows that the US
cannot count on the new member states to follow their policies in the
area of genetically modified food. Member States have put the safety of
European citizens and their environment before the financial interests
of biotech giants like Monsanto and their friends in the White House. The
European Commission should now follow suit and reject GM foods until
their safety can be proven."
============================================================
Subj: EU vote against GE rapeseed; liver problems in rats?
Date: 04-06-16 15:34:27 EDT
From: [log in to unmask] (Jim Diamond)
Sender: [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
Reply-to: [log in to unmask] (Biotech Forum)
To: [log in to unmask]
Below is a FOE-International press release dealing with the European Union's
rejection of Monsanto's GE rapeseed (which is pretty much the same thing as
canola). The really interesting part has to do with the increased liver
weights
in rats who were fed the product. Is this a yellow flag or a red flag?
Either way, it's something that needs to be followed up. Also, it brings to
mind
similar science (on a different GE product, potatoes which were never
commercialized) by Pusztai.
Jim Diamond, M.D. / Sierra Club Genetic Engineering Committee
- - - - -
NEW EUROPE BLOCKS U.S. FOOD IMPORT
Confidential study casts doubt on GM food safety
Friends of the Earth Europe, Press release
For immediate release
Results:
For: 43 votes (Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Netherlands, Latvia,
Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden)
Against: 57 votes (Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Hungary,
Italy, Malta, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, UK)
Abstentions: 24 votes (Germany, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia)
Brussels, 16 June 2004 European Member states have today blocked the
approval of a genetically modified (GM) food from the biotech giant
Monsanto. The twenty five member states of Europe, voting together for the
first time on a GM food, failed to support the application to import
Monsantošs GM oilseed rape into Europe.
Remarkably 6 new EU member states voted against Monsanto's oilseed rape. The
application will now
go back to the European Commission who must decide whether to push for a vote
by Ministers or not.
The GM oilseed rape, called GT73, has been modified to resist the company's
own chemical herbicide. The vote was the first test for the
newly expanded EU following the European Commission's decision last month to
force through the first GM food in over 5 years (1). The result
will be closely watched by the US Government who have started a trade dispute
in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). US officials have recently stated that
"the approval of a single product does not affect our WTO challenge, [the
lifting of the moratorium] does not indicate there is a consistently
functioning
approval process". (2)
In the run up to today's vote Friends of the Earth revealed that:
- A Monsanto feeding study on rats that was hidden from the public showed
that rats fed the GM oilseed rape had a 15 % increase in liver weights. The
UK
Governments scientific advisors, usually known for their pro-GM stance, have
demanded 'a satisfactory explanation for this potentially adverse response
observed in the rat feeding study'.(3)
- Monsanto has failed to satisfy some member states over the possibility that
the imported oilseed rape seeds will escape into the environment
(through spillage during transport for example) and create feral populations.
The UK authorities have repeatedly called on Monsanto to produce an adequate
monitoring plan and an emergency plan should it occur. (3)
Geert Ritsema, GMO Coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe said:
"This is an important result for New Europe. This vote shows that the US
cannot count on the new member states to follow their policies in the
area of genetically modified food. Member States have put the safety of
European citizens and their environment before the financial interests
of biotech giants like Monsanto and their friends in the White House. The
European Commission should now follow suit and reject GM foods until
their safety can be proven."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. On 19th May the European Commission approved the import of a GM sweet corn
after sufficient Member States failed to support it. This was the
first new product authorised in Europe since 1998.
2. Statement by US trade spokesperson Christopher Padilla, New York Times, 15
May 2004, 'Europeans Appear Ready To Approve A Biotech Corn'
3. Advisory Committee on Release to the Environment (ACRE),
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/pdf/acre_advice36.pdf
CONTACT
Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe mobile +31 (0)6 290 05 908
Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe mobile +49 (0)1609 490 1163
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp
|
