The European Court of justice ruled in a case of Italy vs. Monsanto that the country could ban EU approved GMOs but had to produce evidence of risk. Both sides claimed victory. The case now goes back to an Italian court.</p><p><a href="http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aNysxHPEoeRs&refer=europe" target = "blank">Bloomberg</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gene.ch/genet/2003/Sep/msg00036.html" target = "blank">ECJ press release and Reuters via GENET</a>

The EU commission today presented a new Seed Directive for the "adventitious and technically unavoidable presence of genetically modified seeds in seed-lots of non-genetically modified varieties", which proposes allowable contamination levels of GMOs in conventional and organic seeds between 0,3 and 0,7 percent. The Directive is supposed to be adopted by a technical "Standing Committee on Seeds", which will discuss it on September 22nd and may adopt it in October.</p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/seed_directive_2003_en.pdf" target = "blank">New Seed Directive proposal in English</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/seed_directive_2003_de.pdf" target = "blank">Neuer Saatgut-Richtlinien-Entwurf in Deutsch</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/seed_directive_2003_fr.pdf" target = "blank">nouvelle proposition de la Directive en francaise</a>

A Saskatchewan farmer, who found GM oilseed rape volunteers in his non-oilseed field will keep his certification if the GMOs are removed. In this case Monsanto sent a team to remove the plants. However organic farmers had to give up oilseed (canola) production due to GM contamination and sue Monsanto about this.</p><p><a href="http://www.producer.com/articles/20030904/news/20030904news14.html">Western Producer - Organic grower will keep certification - September 4, 2003 edition</a>

The European Commission today dismissed a draft law of the Austrian Regio of Upper Austria, which prohibits the planting of GMOs for 3 years. According to Commissioner Margot Wallstrom this would be in breach of the Common Market.

As some of the GM maize varieties grown in the US are not approved in countries of export (EU, Japan...) farmers in the corn belt struggle with keeping this GM harvest out of the export chain.</p><p><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-08-25-biotech-crops_x.htm" target = "_blank" >USATODAY.com - Industry struggles with handling of biotech crops</a>

A study published today by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace concludes that the growing of GM crops in Spain is causing contamination of organic crops, producing low yields and its benefits are grossly overstated. The report is also highly critical of the Spanish Government for failing to properly control or monitor the situation. [1]Spain is the only country in the European Union where GM crops are grown at a commercial scale. Around 25,000 hectares are planted with a genetically modified corn variety (called Bt176) of Syngenta.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2003/GR_26_August_failing.htm" target="blank">Press Release</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/espana_es/news/details?item_id=305056" target="blank">Los transgénicos no benefician a los agricultores</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/multimedia/download/1/305096/0/Spain_GMmaize.pdf" target="blank">Full Report in English</a></p><p><a href="http://www.pressrelations.de/index.cfm?start_url=http%3A//www.pressrelations.de/search/release.cfm%3Fr%3D132184%26style%3D" target="blank">Greenpeace: Syngenta pflanzt in Spanien Gentech-Mais ohne Rücksicht auf Gesetz, Umwelt und Bevölkerung</a>

Tony Blair is drastically scaling down his plans to introduce GM farming in Britain in the wake of the Hutton inquiry, the Independent on Sunday writes.Senior officials at the centre of the issue concede that the Prime Minister has accepted that it would be politically 'too risky' to force through widespread commercial planting of GM crops in the teeth of public opposition.</p><p><a href="http://news.independent.co.uk/low_res/story.jsp?story=436640&host=3&dir=58" target="blank">The Independent on Sunday</a>:

Some of Britain`s most senior scientists are being investigated in an inquiry whether opponents of genetically modified food have been bullied to soften their stance.Growing concern that Government-appointed experts have come under pressure from pro-GM peers to toe a bio-tech line has led Tony Blair to appoint Nigel Griffiths, the Minister for small business, to investigate.</p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/gmdebate/Story/0,2763,1028518,00.html">Guardian Probe into 'bullying' of GM panel scientists</a>

Per Pinstrup Andersen, former director of the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Adrian Bebb of Friends of the Earth will discuss the question: Is genetically modified food the answer to the problem of world hunger, or is "Frankenstein Food" - as some of its opponents like to call it - likely to serve up more problems than it solves?" You can participate via phone, mail and sms.</p><p><a href="http://www.rnw.nl/amsterdamforum/">Amsterdam Forum</a>

Greenpeace activists stopped a trainload of US maize at the vorder to Mexico in Rio Grande. "The latest scientific analysis shows that one third of US maize entering Mexico is contaminated with GE varieties from Monsanto. Mexico is the centre of diversity of maize, one of the world`s three most important food crops and it`s at serious risk from GE contamination."<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/news/details?item_id=302714">Greenpeace Action</a>