Under the legislation adopted by the EU executive Commission, each GMO variety used in food and animal feed would be assigned a specific code consisting of letters and digits.</p><p><a href="http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/23492/story.htm">Planet Ark : EU Commission Seeks to Increase Biotech Food Safety</a>

The Shanghai No. 2 Intermediate People`s Court began hearing a local woman`s lawsuit against Nestle and Shanghai Lianjia Supermarket Co yesterday for producing and selling genetically modified food without informing consumers.</p><p><a href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-01/19/content_1283161.htm"> Xinhuanet - Test question slows Nestle suit</a>

U.S. agricultural giant Monsanto Co. will temporarily halt sales of genetically modified soybean seeds in Argentina because of widespread piracy, a spokesman for the company said Monday.</p><p><a href="http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7747622.htm">AP Wire 01/19/2004 Monsanto halts sales of soybean seeds in Argentina because of illicit cultivation</a>

A narrow legal case over whether Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser infringed on biotech patents held by Monsanto Co. has mushroomed into a broader battle over genetically modified organisms that will be heard before the Supreme Court of Canada on Tuesday.Monsanto has already won two lower-court judgments against Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser, successfully arguing he used its canola without a license.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=scienceNews&storyID=4160933">Reuters: Battle Over GMOs Heads to Canada`s High Court</a>

ACRE, the British Advisory Committee on releases to the environment, published am advise on the results of the countries farm scale trials on GMOs. ACRE sees no adverse environmental effects arising form the planting of GM maize, if the planting was conducted as in the trials. but warns against GM rape seed (canola) and sugar beet. "English Nature" the nature conservation agency, came to similar conclusions.</p><p><a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/pdf/acre_advice44.pdf">ACRE advisory document</a></p><p><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3391431.stm">BBC: Experts cautious on GM maize</a></p><p><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N2W199390.htm">Reuters - UK govt adviser fails to advance GM crops debate</a></p><p><a href="http://politics.guardian.co.uk/green/story/0,9061,1122291,00.html">The Guardian</a></p><p><a href="http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/fse/results/en_advice.pdf">Advice from "English Nature"</a></p><p><a href="http://www.rspb.org.uk/countryside/farming/policy/GMOs/banned.asp">The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds - GM crops should now be banned</a>

According to ISAAA, the international agency of GMO companies, worldwide cultivation of GMOs went up to 67,7 mio ha in 2003.</p><p><a href="http://www.isaaa.org/Press_release/Briefs30-2003/press/b30_english.htm"></a>

The EU Commission will propose a decision of European Ministers on the approval of Syngenta genetically engineered bt 11 Sweet corn soon. Representatives of member states failed to agree on the approval just before christmas.</p><p><a href="http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L12479231.htm">ReutersEU Commission to relaunch GM maize approval bid</a>

Europe`s new food safety agency, EFSA, will soon start its first risk analysis of live gene-spliced crops for cultivation as the European Union debates lifting a five-year ban, officials said on Friday.</p><p><a href="http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=4102290&section=news">Reuters EU Food Agency Prepares to Assess Live GMO Crops</a>

Senior executives at the two biggest seed companies in the world, Monsanto and Pioneer Hi-Bred met repeatedly in the mid- to late 1990`s and agreed to charge higher prices for genetically modified seeds, according to the New York Times. The NYT also reports that a federal judge now presiding over a price-fixing case involving the Monsanto Company did not disclose to the parties in the case that in 1997 and 1998 he was listed as a lawyer representing Monsanto in a case that covered some of the same issues.</p><p><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?tntget=2004/01/06/business/06SEED.html&tntemail0">NYT: Questions Seen on Seed Prices Set in the 90`s</a>

Background article about the role of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) and the World Bank in promoting GM crops in developing countries.</p><p><a href="http://194.183.22.90/ips/Tve.nsf/vwTVEbyData/9E53EC0A08466AE1C1256DF2002F403B?OpenDocument">IPS: Biotech Boom Linked to Development Dollars</a>