Dutch accused of ignoring GMO laws

Date: 24/04/03

THE Dutch government has come under fire for failing to screen an application for a genetically modified variety of oilseed rape, before recommending it to the European Union.

Both the UK government and Friends of the Earth Europe have denounced the Netherlands for lax handling of a request from US biotech food giant Monsanto to export the oilseed rape to the Union via Dutch ports.

Both claim the Dutch government did not follow the 'deliberate release' directive on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) that would aim to ensure the oilseed rape does not come into contact with the environment - for example from seeds being spilled during transport.

"We're convinced what the Dutch have approved is far below the standard set by the directive," said Geert Ritsema, GMO campaign coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe.

Dutch authorities approved Monsanto's application in January and forwarded it to the European Commission and member states.

It received strong criticism from the UK government, which, among other complaints, claimed that Monsanto supplied low quality, inconsistent data to support its application and failed to propose an adequate system for the labelling of genetically modified oilseed rape.

Ritsema said: "This is a first real test of the 2001 deliberate release directive. If this poor standard is accepted then the GMO legislation won't be worth the paper it's printed on."

The Dutch application is part of a recent rash of requests from member states to the Commission for authorisation to cultivate GM crops - 19 have been received since January.

Twelve member states face legal action from the Commission for failing to meet an October 2002 deadline to transpose the April 2001 revised deliberate release directive.

The Commission threatened all member states bar the UK, Sweden and Finland with action at the European Court of Justice if they do not put the law on their books within the next two months.

The Dutch government has come under fire for failing to screen an application for a genetically modified variety of oilseed rape, before recommending it to the European Union.