Chronicle
Thresholds for contamination of conventional and organic seeds with genetically modified varieties?
For nearly seven years now the European Commission has made different attempts to introduce an small piece of legislation, which would have massive consequences regarding the introduction of genetically modified crops (GMO) in Europe. A "Commission decision" to establish thresholds for so called "adventitious or technically unavoidable" traces of GMOs in non-GM seeds, conventional or organic, would allow for contamination of all seed varieties with GMOs. The latest suggestions are to allow between 0,3 % for maize and rape seed and 0,5 % for all other crops to go unlabelled into conventional seed bags.
Contamination of seeds is a different issue than traces of GMO in chocolate or vegetable oil as they can multiply and transfer their GM traits to neighbouring fields as well as to wild relatives. GMOs would be spread throughout the entire cultivation-area of a crop. Thus, if GMOs were to be allowed in all conventional and organic seeds, this would result in an uncontrolled release of fertile GM material on the entire agricultural land of the Community. The recall of a GMO, should it become necessary, would be nearly impossible. Farmers and consumers in Europe, who reject GM food and farming in their large majority, could no longer avoid GM contamination as the GMOs would be co-mingeled into the seeds at the very beginning of the food chain. Without labelling there are no chances to indentify them. More than 7 billion GM plants could grow throughout the Community even if no farmer intentionally planted GMOs on his land.
Protests from a wide range of farmers, consumers, environmental and other organisations, from companies in the field as well as national governments and the European Parliament have so far stopped the Commission repeatedly from introducing such a seed contamination Directive. A last attempt on September 8th 2004 was stopped by the outgoing Commission's President, Romano Prodi, at the last minute. The Commissioner for the Environment at that time, Stavros Dimas, has since questioned the need for contamination thresholds. However, the official position of the Commission remains, that preparation of such legislation was underway.
draft comission decision on genetically modified seeds European Commission: Questions and Answers about GMOs in seeds
History
15 July 2011
European Parliament for national GM ban. 
more here
18 March 2011
The German Federal Assembly adopts No Tolerance policy on GMOs in seeds. more here.
Februar 2010
The new EU Commission enters into office.
November 2009
The new EU Commision is named. The announcement of the new department is also named in the new commission. A new proposal will be made regarding the requirement to label the threshold of GMOs in conventional seeds.
Europäischen Union, Pressemittteilung: 
President Barroso unveils his new team
Oktober 2009
Hard times approach GM-free agriculture. In the new governing coalition, the liberals are urging to strengthen green genetic engineering in Germany. The FDP wants to end the No Tolerance Policy, lift the cultivation ban of genetic maize variety MON 810, and support the cultivation of GM potato Amflora.
September 2009
José Manuel Barroso is renamed Commision president.
June 2009
The European Food Safety Authority supports Monsantos proposal for readmission of MON 810 A critique of the European Food Safety Authority’s opinion on genetically modified maize MON810, Stellungnahme, July 2009.
April 2009
Germany forbids cultivation of GM maize MON 810 coming from France, Greece, Hungary and other EU countries.
March 2009
The European seed industry puts massive pressure on the European Commision, to place limits on the amnount of GMOs in conventional seeds
European Seed Industry: “ Call for Action ” BÖLW, Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft, März 2009
A decision was made by the European Commision concerning the provisional prohibition of the use and sale in Hungary and Austria of genetically modified maize MON 810. MON 810 was approved for use, but the good news is that a Member State may restrict the use and/or sale of a GMO in accordance with Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EC. Council decision 2 März 2009
July - December 2008
On December 4th 2008 the Council of Ministers adopted a resolution on future GMO legislation. Among other recommendations, the ministers invited the Commission to come forward with a regulation that would override the present European seed purity standards. Currently, these do not allow for any contamination of seed with GMOs unless clearly labelled. The ministers agreed on the following text:
12. WELCOMES with interest the forthcoming completion of Commission impact studies on the establishment of seed thresholds;
13. REAFFIRMS the need at European level for one or more labelling thresholds for the adventitious presence of authorised GMOs in conventional seeds on the basis of relevant criteria, such as species-specific criteria and scientific information;
UNDERLINES that these thresholds must be set at the lowest practicable, proportionate and functional levels for all economic operators, must contribute to ensuring freedom of choice to producers and consumers of conventional, organic and GM products alike;
14. INVITES the Commission to adopt appropriate thresholds in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 5 a of Decision 1999/468/EC as soon as possible, taking account of the most recent scientific observations and information on dispersal, adventitious presence and mixing in the process of breeding, multiplication, marketing and using seeds.
first document of the ad hoc working party on GMOs (July 2008)
with comments from Save our Seeds
April 2008
The results of the online consultation of DG Environment make clear: the large majority of consulted parties are for seed purity at the detection level. The results, which have been shown to a select group, remain unpublished to this day. The impact assessment has also yet to materialize.
Mai 2007
The European Commission's Directorate on Environment starts an "online-consultation" on the impacts of GM thresholds for seeds. The multiple choice questionnaire is heavily biased towards the seed industry's demands to allow for general contamination of conventional and organic seeds with GM varieties. After protest of Save Our Seeds and other farmers and environmental organisations the Directorate promises some more transparency in the conduction of its impact assessment but has not taken further action to this end. EU impact assessment on GM contamination thresholds
April 2006
At a major conference organised by the Austrian Presidency and the European Commission, representatives of EU member states, industry and NGOs all call for clear legislation on GM seed contamination. However, there is disagreement about the level of thresholds needed.
Proceedings of the European Conference "Co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic crops – freedom of choice", Vienna April 4-6
February 2006
The European Joint Research Centre publishes a second study on GM contamination and coexistence. Production of GM-free seed was practically impossible in the vicinity of GM fields, it concludes.
JRC: New case studies on the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops in European agriculture
June 2005
Commissioner Dimas publicly questions the need for GM threshold legislation. The present situation which does not allow for any contamination is probably sufficient, he says.
October 2004
At hearings of the European Parliament the new Commissioner Dimas supports GM thresholds at the detection level.
8 September 2004
A decision of the outgoing Commission on a draft proposal from Commissioner Margot Walström for adventitious or technically unavoidable traces of genetically modified seeds in other products is taken off the agenda of the Commissioners by President Prodi at the last minute. The proposal was not mature enough to be decided. A Commission spokesperson says more information was needed especially on the economic impacts of such a Directive for farmers and companies. A broad coalition of civil society, which had fiercely opposed the proposal, welcomes the Commission's decision and demands setting labelling thresholds for GMOs in seeds at the detection level.
NGO Press Release
13. September 2004
A demonstration took place at the exhibition in Cologne on the occasion of the Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference - ABIC, photos...
August 2004
The outgoing European Commission is still committed to present a new directive regarding the "adventitious presence" of genetically modified organisms in seeds in September. Massive protests from civil society, the European Parliament and an growing number of governments did not sway Commissioner Margot Wallström, who insists that GMO contamination levels between 0,3 % and 0,5 % should be allowed to go unlabelled into any conventional and organic seed. An initial proposal by Commissioner Byrne, which had to be withdrawn in October 2003, suggested basically the same contamination levels with the exception of maize, where 0,3 % instead of 0,5 % are now proposed.
If the outgoing Commission adopted this proposal, according to the rules of EU decision making, only a 2/3 (qualified) majority of Ministers in the EU Council could stop this proposal from entering into force. The decision in the Commission is foreseen to be taken at the Commissioner's next meeting, Wednesday September 8th.
24-26th May 2004
400 plant breeders met at the World Seed Congress of the International Seed Federation in Berlin. The meeting was organised by the Federation of German Plant Breeders (Bund Deutschen Pflanzenzüchter) and sponsored by Bayer Crop-Science. Save Our Seeds warned against plans for genetic engineering at the "World Seed Congress 2004", more...
3rd May 2004
Save Our Seeds protested against the Commission's contamination plan at a press conference in Brussels and presented over 200.000 signatures from European citizens to Commissioner Wallström on May 3rd, more...
18th April 2004
Demonstration 'We stay clean!', Stuttgart, photos...
October 2003
A draft directive on the adventitious or technically unavoidable presence of GMOs in seed lots of non-genetically modified varieties presented by EU Commissioner David Byrne proposes to allow between 0,3% and 0,7% of unlabelled GMOs in conventional and organic seeds. The Commission initially wanted to adopt this directive on October 27th in a technical committee but has now postponed the vote and accepted that it would require a qualified majority of the 15 member states (62 out of 87 votes) to adopt. However, Commissioner David Byrne still insists on the proposed contamination thresholds. It is now up to the member states to chose between strict seed purity, as demanded by the large majority of citizens, or a concept of uncontrolled contamination and spread of GMOs as suggested by the industry and the Commission.
Update Oct 22nd: Success for Save Our Seeds - Commission gives in on Seed Directive vote.
15th October 2003
The demonstration Save Our Seeds in Berlin, photos...
30th September 2003
Greenpeace action to "Save Our Seeds", photo...
25th September 2003
The press conference in Berlin, more...
2002
Presentation of the Petition to Commissioners Fischler and Byrne, October 2002, Brussels, more...
... and to Consumer and Agriculture Minister Renate Künast, photo...
