www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

European countries bristled on Wednesday at a world trade ruling that
touches on national sovereignty over genetically modified (GMO) foods, with
some saying they would do their level best to keep farming GMO-free,
February 2006 by Jeremy Smith.

Europe's consumers are well known for their scepticism, if not hostility,
to GMO crops, often dubbed as "Frankenstein foods". The biotech industry
insists their products are perfectly safe, however, and no different to
conventional foods.

Late on Tuesday, a World Trade Organization panel ruled that various EU
countries -- Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg -- had
broken international trade rules by imposing national bans on marketing and
growing specific GMOs.

Some of those countries reacted angrily to the WTO ruling, saying they would
defend their legal right to block EU-approved products if they wanted, since
this was the will of consumers. EU law dictates that such bans must be
scientifically justified.

Austria, one of the EU's staunchest biotech sceptics, has banned imports of
three GMO maize types and is considering a ban on growing a GMO rapeseed.
Government officials say they will continue to be as restrictive as possible
for the time being.

"The protection of people and the environment have absolute priority, and
the most recent scientific research vindicates our cautious approach in this
matter," said Austrian Health Minister Maria Rauch-Kallat, responsible for
national GMO policy.

"We will exhaust all possibilities to keep Austria's agriculture GM-free and
ensure consumers' safety."

Last June, EU governments rebuffed attempts by the European Commission to
order the five countries to lift their national GMO bans: the first time
that the bloc has managed to agree anything on biotech policy since 1998.

The Commission didn't think the bans were justified, and nor did the WTO in
its ruling on the case filed by Argentina, Canada and the United States. It
also said the EU's de facto GMO moratorium between 1999 and 2003 broke world
trade rules.

France still sceptical

France, home to anti-GMO and free trade firebrand Jose Bove, has a
long-standing consumer opposition to biotech food. Europe's agricultural
powerhouse, France bans two types of GMO rapeseed but has allowed some
small-scale growing of GMO maize.

French consumer and farming groups deplored the WTO ruling, insisting that a
large majority of consumers were firmly opposed to GMOs and said the EU's
temporary approvals ban was correct.

"We think the moratorium was totally justified insofar as we need to assess
GMOs' benefits for consumers as well as their potential risks," Olivier
Arnault, food officer at France's largest consumer group UMC-Que Choisir,
told Reuters.

A poll published in France this week showed that 78 percent of those
questioned would like a temporary ban on GMO products in order to evaluate
their health and environmental impact.

Green groups said consumer resistance to GMOs has increased in Europe since
the three major GMO growers filed their WTO complaint in 2003. The ruling
will not encourage consumers to buy more GMOs, they say, and maybe make the
opposition stronger.

"The WTO has bluntly ruled that European safeguards (bans) should be
sacrificed to benefit biotech corporations," said Adrian Bebb, GMO
campaigner at Friends of the Earth Europe. "This will backfire and lead to
even greater opposition to genetically modified food and crops. Consumers
worldwide will not be bullied into eating GM foods."

U.S. officials regretted there was a level of misinformation in Europe about
the benefits of biotech crops but hoped that the WTO ruling would let the EU
open its doors more to GMO imports.

"It is unfortunate the extent to which certain groups have decided to
demagogue the issue and mischaracterise the quality ... and environmental
implications of biotechnology," Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Susan
Schwab told reporters.

"The proof will be in trade flows and transparency and ease of approval
processes. Time will tell," she said in Brussels.

[www.alertnet.org]

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