Save our Seeds

The European Parliaments committee on environment and consumer protection will vote on it`s recommendations for the second reading of the the GMO Food and Feed and Traceability Regulations on May 22nd. The plenary vote is expected in June. Key issues to be resolved between the Parliament and the Council will be questions of co-existence and approval procedures for GMO releases.</p><p><a href="http://www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/committees/envi/20030429/488539en.pdf">Food and Feed Recommendations in English</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/committees/envi/20030429/488554en.pdf">Traceability Recommendantions in English</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europarl.eu.int/meetdocs/committees/envi/20030429/envi20030429.htm">EPs Envrionment committee homepage for all other languages</a>

Various research projects around the world are looking at the effect of GMCs on biodiversity since several years. New results are emerging now. The conference "Biodiversity Implications of Genetically Modified Plants" in Ascona, Switzerland, from 7th to 12th September 2003 will offer an open audience of experts the chance to hear and discuss the latest results.The conference organizers are Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, ETH Zurich, Switzerland and Dr. Ruud de Maagd, PRI Wageningen, The NetherlandsSpeakers include David Andow, University of Minnesota, St.Paul, USA, Miguel Altieri, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, USA, Weber Amaral, IPGRI, Rome, Italy and Sao Paulo University, Brazil, Les Firbank, Centre of Ecology and Hydrology, Merlewood, UK, Baoron Lu, Fudan University, Shanghai, China, Allison Snow, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA;<a href="http://www.geobot.umnw.ethz.ch/bigmp/bigmp.html">Conference web site</a>

On May 7th the government of Victoria established a one year moratorium on the commercialisation of genetically modified canola (oilseed rape). After New South Wales, West Australia, South Australia and Tasmania Victoria is the last canola growing state in Australia which has now banned the commercialisation of GE canola prior to the pending national approval of Monsanto`s and Bayers GMO varieties.</p><p><a href="http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/news_details.asp?ID=337">Victorian governments decision on homepage of Network of Concerned Farmers</a>

On May 28th The Greens in the European Parliament, Friends of the Earth, Heinrich Boell Foundation and Euro-Coop will organise a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss what steps are needed are to ensure co-existence of GM and non-GM crops without contamination and how the European Union should react to this challenge. The conference will debate all these questions with scientists, farmers, food processors, consumer and environmental organisations, representatives from the biotech industry, competent authorities and politicians.</p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/conference/home.htm">FOE Conference homepage & registration</a>

While environmental, organic and small farmers organisations protested outside against what they called an "unbalanced and missed opportunity", EU Commissioners Fischer (Agriculture) and Busquin (Research) opened a so called round table on coexistence between GMO and non-GMO agriculture with special emphasis on gene flow in maize and oilseed rape. Fischler said "co-existence means no form of agriculture, GMO and non-GMO should be excluded" and announced guidelines before summer. Busquin called for a waive of the present moratorium on GMO commercialisation in the EU. Scientists and industry representatives presented to a selected group of 150 stakeholders their views and present state of knowledge and listened to some critical comments and questions. They concluded that "practical experience" with large scale releases of GMOs was now needed. (Full report to follow)<a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ fischler_speech_24_04_03.pdf">Fischlers speech</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ busquin_speech_24_04_03.pdf">Busquins speech French only</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ gp_foe_cpe_ifoam_pe_24_04_03.pdf">Joint press release of environment and farmers organisations</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ graefe_pe_24_04_03.pdf">Press release of green members of national and EU Parliament</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/uba_24_04_03.pdf">Positionspapier des Umweltbundesamtes zur Koexistenz</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/uba_eng_24_04_03.pdf">Positionspapier des Umweltbundesamtes zur Koexistenz</a>english version<a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ graefe_pe_de_24_04_03.pdf">Presseerklärung nationaler und europäischer Parlamente</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ abl_pe_24_04_03.pdf">Presseerklärung der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Bäuerliche Landwirtschaft</a></p><p><a href="http://www.forbes.com/markets/commodities/newswire/2003/04/24/rtr950220.html">Reuters: EU to draft GMO crop mix guidelines in next months</a></p><p><a href="http://binas.unido.org/binas/show.php3?id=497&type=html&table=news_sources&dir=news">BINAS/OECD update: Co-Existence Meeting Highlights Divergent Views</a>

Greenpeace and the Foundation on Future farming have prepared some "considerations on co-existence" trying to sketch out the full scope and challenge of potential coexistence between gmo, non-gmo and organic farming. The paper concludes with a list of minimum requirements for co-existence, which go far beyond the concept presented by the European Commission. Greenpeace has also criticised the very narrow approach of the Commissions proposal on this issue.</p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/coexistence_memo_04_2003.pdf">Full considerations regarding the co-existence of gmo and non-gmo agriculture</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/gp_fischler_critique_04_03.pdf">Greenpeace critique of the Fischler proposal</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/Communication_Fischler_02_2003.pdf">Communication of the Commission on Co-existence</a>Greenpeace und die Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft haben in einem gemeinsamen Papier (nur auf Englisch) versucht den gesamten Komplex der Herausforderungen im Zusammenhang mit der Ko-Existenz von GVO und nicht-GVO Landwirtschaft beschrieben, das mit einer Liste von Mindestanforderungen endet, die weit über die bisherigen Vorschläge der EU Kommission zu diesem Thema hinausgehen.</p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/coexistence_memo_04_2003.pdf">Full considerations regarding the coexistence of gmo and non-gmo agriculture</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/gp_coexistence_kurz_04_03.pdf">Deutsche Zusammenfassung des Papiers</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/gp_fischler_kritik_04_03.pdf">Greenpeace-Kritik des Kommissionsvorschlages</a>

A roundtable meeting to examine the latest research results on the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops will be hosted by the European Commission on Thursday 24 April. A wide range of stakeholders, representing industry, NGOs, consumers and other players, will attend the meeting. The aim of the roundtable is to discuss the scientific basis for any agronomic and other measures that may be necessary to facilitate the sustainable co-existence of these different agricultural practices.</p><p><a href="http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/495-0- RAPID&lg=DE&displa">Deutsche Ankündigung</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/495-0- RAPID&lg=EN&displa">English annoucement</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/495-0- RAPID&lg=fr&displa">Version francaise</a>

On May 28th The Greens in the European Parliament, Friends of the Earth, Heinrich Boell Foundation and Euro-Coop will organise a conference at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss what steps are needed are to ensure co-existence of GM and non-GM crops without contamination and how the European Union should react to this challenge. The conference will debate all these questions with scientists, farmers, food processors, consumer and environmental organisations, representatives from the biotech industry, competent authorities and politicians.More details to follow soon. Contact: registration@foeeurope.org

Kraft Co-CEO Betsy Holden is calling for stricter rules for planting crops that are bio-engineered to produce pharmaceuticals. The issue is gaining urgency because about 20 companies are splicing corn, rice, soybeans, tobacco and other crops to try to mass-produce medicines. Kraft spokesman Michael Mudd said if the federal government refuses to outlaw pharmaceutical crops or to ban their planting in farm states, Northfield-based Kraft "wants there to be every regulation possible so commingling will not happen."<a href="http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-biopharm04.html">Report in the Chicago Sun</a>

On 19 March 2003, the European Parliaments Committee for Agriculture adopted amendments to the present EU seed legislation, which foresee strict minimum standards or the adventitious/ accidental GM contamination of conventional seeds. These minimum standards, if finally accepted by the Plenary and Council of Ministers would prevent the Commission and the Standing Committee for Seeds from adopting thresholds between 0.3% and 0.7 % as proposed by the Commission in July.</p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/gmo/downloads/ep_agri_vote_19_03_03.pdf">Short report and amendments</a>