| Author (Person) | Spinant, Dana |
|---|---|
| Series Title | European Voice |
| Series Details | Vol.9, No.32, 2.10.03, p16 |
| Publication Date | 02/10/2003 |
| Content Type | News |
|
Date: 02/10/03 By Dana Spinant MEMBER states are split down the middle on whether the EU should adopt a law aimed at preventing cross-pollination when traditional and genetically modified (GMO) crops are grown in close proximity. In what a Council of Ministers official called “the GMOs' Iraq”, seven member states called on Monday (29 September) for an EU law on 'coexistence' of crops. Austria, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Portugal want the European Commission to draft such EU-wide rules. The Commission, together with the eight other member states, opposes the move. Moreover, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece and Italy have stepped up pressure for the right of member states to operate GMO-free zones. France, the Union's leading agricultural power, is in favour of each nation having the right to establish its own coexistence rules, but is urging at the same time for “some form of harmonization between those rules at the EU level”, a Council diplomat explained. The Commission firmly restated its opposition to this on Monday and also urged member states to lift their moratorium on the approval of new GMOs. This followed a decision by the EU executive last month to reject an attempt by the region of Upper Austria to ban GMOs. Franz Fischler, the agriculture commissioner, has warned that regions cannot prohibit GMOs unless they produce scientific evidence that the contamination of traditional crops is unavoidable. The European Food Safety Agency supports the Commission's position. However, sources have told European Voice that even within the Commission there are divisions over whether member states should be able to install GMO-free zones. While Romano Prodi, the president, is discretely supporting Italy's insistence that every state should be able to ban GMOs from certain areas, his counterparts in charge of environment, agriculture and trade disagree. Italians are vehemently opposed to GMOs because they fear harm to the reputation of their traditional agriculture. Some 400 hectares of maize accidentally contaminated by GMO crops were destroyed in Piemont in July. Meanwhile, local authorities in Tuscany have hinted they plan to ban their farmers from growing the controversial crops. One Italian Commission official said that the GMO issue is such a hot potato that Prodi “cannot simply observe it” as a spectator. “If he wants to lead the Italian Left at the next elections, Prodi has to be careful with what he says, or what the Commission does,” he added. However, an aide to Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström called for a sense of perspective in the debate, pointing out that “the request for establishing GM-free zones is very often driven more by ideological concerns than by an objective assessment of the risks involved”. “I have the impression this is political posturing. I don't think it should be possible to have an entire region banning cultivation of GMOs as a matter of principle,” she said. “We have to ensure freedom of choice for farmers and consumers.” Regions such as Upper Austria and Tuscany should first seek the means to avoid contamination of traditional crops by GMOs, she maintained. Another factor behind the Commission's position may be that the EU moratorium on GMOs faces a legal challenge from the United States and others at the World Trade Organization. Nevertheless, officials from DG Environment said other regions in Austria, as well as Italy, Germany and Wales have voiced concern about cross-pollination. “We are braced for more unilateral GMO bans. But the answer to their concern is not to close the market to GMO products,” said an official. Franz Fischler has told agriculture ministers that farmers, and not the EU, states or regions, should address coexistence. “I would support the idea of farmers joining on a voluntary basis to create zones of GM-free production or bio-regions,” he added. Austria, Belgium, Greece, Luxembourg, Denmark, Italy and Portugal want the European Commission to draft European Union-wide rules on co-existence of crops. The Commission and eight other Member States oppose the move. The EU moratorium on GMOs faces a legal challenge from the United States and others at the World Trade Organisation. |
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