Save our Seeds

The EU Standing Committee on the food chain could not agree on approving a GM maize variety GA21 of Monsanto to be imported as food and feed. A majority abstained at the vote. The decision will now be forwarded to the Council of ministers.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.za/locales/c_newsArticle.jsp?type=topNews&localeKey=en_ZA&storyID=8311294">Reuters: EU experts fail to agree GMO maize approval, again</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=59694-eu-ministers-reject">Foodnavigator: EU ministers reject GM ingredient, again</a>

The EU Commission adopted a proposal to the Council of Environment Ministers in June insisting on lifting national bans of EU approved GMOs. A massive majority of member states had rejected in the Standing Committee the lifting of bans of GM maize varieties T25 and MON810 in Austria, GM maize Bt176 in Austria, Germany and Luxembourg, oilseed rape varieties MS1xRF1 in France and Topas 19/2 in France and Greece.</p><p><a href="http://www.just-food.com/news_detail.asp?art=60560">justfood: EU proposal calls on states to end bans on authorised GMOs</a>

A test to identify Syngenta`s illegal GM maize bt10, proposed by Syngenta and developed by GeneScan has been approved and validated by the EU Reference Laboratory (CRL). GeneScan has started testing cargoes of corn gluten feed from the US to the EU in US harbours but not found any contamination so far.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/health_consumer/dyna/enews/enews.cfm?al_id=18">Commission: EU detection method for bt10 maize validated</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30525/story.htm">Reuters: EU Approves Detection Method for Illegal GMO Maize</a></p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30569/story.htm">UPDATE 27.4 - Syngenta: 20 vessels proved free of bt10</a></p><p><a href="http://www.agbios.com/main.php?action=ShowNewsItem&id=6506">Update 11 May - AgBios: Company Begins Testing US Corn Exports To EU For Bt10</a>

The EU member states standing committee on GMOs may take a first vote on whether to allow a genetically modified Bt maize 1507 of Pioneer/DuPont for cultivation at its meeting on June 6th. It would be the first approval for growing a GMO since 1998 and is highly contested.</p><p><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L22172986.htm">Reuters : EU may allow first GMO crop for growing since 1998</a>

Participants at a recent two-day conference on genetically modified organisms held in Lagos, Nigeria, concluded that their safety is not yet guaranteed across the world.</p><p><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200504200220.html">All Africa: Rumpus Over GMOs</a>

One thousand GMO-Free Zones were declared throughout the island of Ireland today - 22nd April, Earth Day 2005 - by farmers, food producers, hotels, restaurants, markets, pubs, retailers, and homes North and South of the border. These sites require legal protection from contamination by genetically modified (GM) seeds, crops, trees, livestock and fish. Hundreds of participants have placed GMO-FREE ZONE signs outside their place of business.</p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeireland.org/press/GMFIearthday2005.pdf">GM-free Ireland Press Release (pdf)</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gmfreeireland.org">GM-free Ireland Homepage</a>

After a meeting with EU Commissioner Kyprianou on Monday US Secretary of agriculture Mike Johanns said there should be no disruption of maize imports from the US to the EU due to illegal GM contamination. Syngenta agreed to cover the costs of testing while Kyprianou said cargos could be unloaded until the testing system was in place next week.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=8217120"> Reuters: US sees no trade disruption on corn gluten to EU</a>

The EU Commission has published a list of 26 genetically modified products which have been legally on the EU market since before the new legislative framework for authorising GM food and feed had entered into effect. These so-called 'existing products' were either approved under former EU legislation, or did not require approval at the time that they were put on the market.</p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/439&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN">EU Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/05/130&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN">EU Commission: Questions & answers on GMO 'existing products' register</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/food/biotechnology/authorisation/register_notification/index.htm">EU Commission: the register notifications</a></p><p><a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_BIOTECH_LIST?SITE=FLLAK&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT">AP via The Ledger: EU Publishes Approved Biotech Products</a>

The EU temporarily banned imports of U.S. maize feed and grains unless there is proof they are free of an illegal genetically modified organism. The measures will enter into force early next week and be reviewed at the end of October, the European Commission said in a statement.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=8196196">Reuters: EU Clashes with U.S. Over GMO Maize Feed Imports</a></p><p><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/BRU003221.htm">Reuters: EU curbs U.S. biotech maize feed, grain imports</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/437&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">EU Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/GP_PR_BT10_150405.pdf">Greenpeace Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.syngenta.com/en/media/article.aspx?pr=041505&Lang=en">Syngenta Press Release: Syngenta supports EU in targeted certification program for two animal feed maize products</a>

Europe`s food safety agency says this week the illegal Bt10 corn is unlikely to pose any threat to health or the environment.</p><p><a href="http://www.foodnavigator.com/news/news-ng.asp?n=59391-illegal-gm-ingredient">Foodnavigator: Illegal GM ingredient Bt10 unlikely to pose risk, says EFSA</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/efsa_statement_bt10maize_en1.pdf">EFSA Statement on Bt10 (pdf)</a>