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

The EU's Environment Council has today delivered a blow to the prospects for
growth and jobs in Europe, according to EuropaBio. By backing Austria's
illegal ban on the cultivation of EU-approved GM crops, the Council has
seriously damaged the credibility of the regulatory system on which much of
Europe's innovative and industrial capacity relies, says the European
biotechnology industry association. Today's vote denies Austrian farmers the
freedom of choice and the possibility to grow GM if they want to, December
2006.

"At issue is whether scientific opinions are to be respected and whether
decision-making is to be rational in Europe", said Johan Vanhemelrijck,
EuropaBio's Secretary General.

The European Commission had asked the Council to overturn the Austrian ban
on two genetically-modified maize seeds which have repeatedly been
pronounced safe after protracted EU reviews. One of the products, Mon810, is
designed to resist the European corn borer, a widespread moth larva that can
destroy crops. It is already grown in Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and
the Czech Republic without any safety or environmental issues, thus
demonstrating that Austria's objections are without foundation. The other,
T25, permits farmers to use a broad-spectrum herbicide for weed control
without damaging the crop. (Details of the products and their safety
assessment appear below.)

But a qualified majority of member states today rejected the European
Commission call for the prohibition to be repealed.

"The EU's own scientific assessments have repeatedly made clear that there
is no reason to consider that the products constitute a risk to human health
or the environment", said Johan Vanhemelrijck. "The Council is undermining
the authority of its own expert advisors. Europe is the only region in the
world that votes on its science, the community must start to believe its own
scientific opinions."

This is the second time the Council has refused Commission proposals to
overturn these illegal bans. Already in June 2005 a qualified majority of
member states upheld Austria's position, and required further information.

"Today's decision by the Council displays an alarming indifference to the
EU's own rules, and to common sense", said Simon Barber, Director of
EuropaBio. "The further information the Council requested in 2005 has now
been provided, and it indicates unambiguously that the products carry none
of the risks alleged. But still the Council declines to follow the advice of
the EU's own expert advisory bodies. This departure from rational
decision-making is disconcerting - not only for these two products, but for
every innovator in every industrial sector that is subject to EU regulation.
If the EU ceases to follow its own rules, innovators and investors are left
in a state of profound uncertainty - and that is deeply discouraging for
growth and for jobs. It will be no surprise if this continued disarray in
the EU induces more companies to move their research and investment abroad
to regions with more predictable and consistent regulatory regimes".

EuropaBio points out that the knowledge-based bio-economy, repeatedly
recognised by the EU to be a crucial element in the renewed jobs and growth
strategy, can fully deliver on its potential only if the regulatory
framework is consistent and consistently implemented. The European
Commission has recognised this, and so too have many member states. But
other member states continue to put these opportunities at risk by allowing
local political considerations to distort the decision-making process.

Given a predictable regulatory environment, the sector can:

- exploit its innovative capacity to diversify from food/feed into renewable
bio-based resources and bio-energy;

- increasingly provide raw-biomaterials for other industrial sectors

- maintain its investment in European research and innovation

MON 810
In 1998 the European Commission gave its consent for the marketing of
Monsanto's Zea Mays L. line MON 810, and France authorised the product.
Austria prohibited the use and sale of the product in 1999, but its
justifications for the prohibition were rejected by the EU's Scientific
Committee on Plants in 1999, and in 2004 and again in 2006 by the European
Food Safety Authority.

T25
In 1998 the European Commission gave its consent for the marketing of
Aventis' Zea Mays L. line T 25, and France authorised the product. Austria
prohibited the use and sale of the product in May 2000, but its
justifications for the prohibition were rejected in 2001 by the Scientific
Committee on Plants, and by EFSA in 2004, and again in 2006

In both cases, EFSA concluded that there is no reason to believe that the
continued placing on the market of these products "is likely to cause any
adverse effects for human and animal health or the environment under the
conditions of its consent."

[www.europabio.org]

------------------------------------------
Posted to Phorum via PhorumMail