GM free regions Opposition to GM crops in Europe

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GM free regionsOpposition to GM crops in Europe

• Clare Oxborrow
• Friends of the Earth

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GM crop growing in Europe

• Spain still only country growing GM maize in any
  significant quantity
• Spanish government ignoring serious GM
  contamination new Greenpeace report
  http//www.greenpeace.org/raw/content/internationa
  l/press/reports/impossible-coexistence.pdf
• A little Bt maize (MON810) in Portugal, Czech
  Republic, Germany and France
• No new GM crops approved for cultivation since
  1998
• BUT 12 new cultivation applications in the
  pipeline 10 x maize (mostly Bt and HT), 1 x
  soya, 1x potato

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Politics and pressures

• 1998 De facto moratorium on new GM approvals in
  whilst new EU regulations put in place member
  states blocking approvals
• 2003 transatlantic WTO dispute - US economy
  losing 300 million a year in lost maize exports
• Pressure on European Commission becoming more
  pro-GM
• 7 new approvals for import of GM food/feed since
  2004
• by the European Commission, after member states
  lack of consensus over safety.

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Politics and pressures

• March 2005 New Commission announces pro-GM
  policy to push new GM foods, approve crops
  despite no EU-wide laws to prevent contamination,
  get national bans lifted
• National bans in Austria, Luxembourg, France,
  Greece Germany part of WTO dispute
• June 2005 Member states defeat Commission over
  proposal to lift national bans. First time
  qualified majority reached
• Industry strategy disappeared, behind the scenes
  lobbying, competitiveness agenda

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Job creation and competitiveness GM crops are
not the answer

• US share of EU maize and Canada share of oilseed
  rape imports now down to almost zero since GMOs
  introduced
• Countries see trade benefit in keeping export
  commodities non GM.
• high cost of gm-avoidance policy is a myth
• Very few green/agricultural biotech jobs in
  Europe
• Organic agriculture shows economic growth, good
  yields, uses less water and virtually no
  pesticides
• Other sustainable agriculture projects show
  increased yield and contribute to poverty
  reduction

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Sustainable farming in the EU

• non agricultural gainful activities of organic
  and conventional farms in the EU in 2000 (A.M.
  Haring et al. 2004)

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WTO GM dispute US did not win

• Final report has been sent to the parties (US,
  Canada, Argentina, EU) in secret
• Leak of interim report in February showed US
  mislead the world over victory
• Ruling does not challenge EU GM laws or the
  rights of other countries to put in place strong
  biosafety laws, even moratoria and bans
• But, found national bans illegal and undue
  delay over moratorium

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Staying GM-free options

• GMO-free Europe areas declaring themselves
  GM-free sends a powerful political signal
• Country level tough coexistence legislation,
  national bans under EU legislation (safeguard
  clause) on existing GM crops eg MON810 maize
• Regional/local level landowners including
  farmers, local authorities, churches, can ban GM
  crops on their land (eg the Co-op in the UK)
• Regions join the Network of GMO-free regions
  http//www.gmofree-europe.org/NetworkofGMOfree_reg
  ions.htm

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• Opposition in Europe
• 172 Regions and 4500 local governments and
  smaller areas wish to be GM Free
• 12 national bans of GM foods or crops in 7
  countries in the EU
• Swiss moratorium on GM crop growing for 5 years
• Official Network of GM free regions 39
  regions in 6 countries
• Assembly of European Regions (AER) supporting
  campaign
• Want to protect traditional/organic farming

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www.gmofree-europe.org
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Poland

• February 2006 all regions declared GM-free
• Joins Austria and Greece 100 GM-free
• Over 300 GM-free farms
• May 2006 Parliament bans all GM seeds

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Austria striving to be GM-free

• 4 national bans (MON810 maize, GT73 oilseed rape,
  T25 maize Bt176 maize)
• National law allows coexistence laws to be set at
  regional level (9 regions)
• 7 regions - government can forbid the release of
  GMOs if there is a danger of contamination of the
  neighbouring fields
• Styria GM contamination must be prevented to
  0.1
• Upper Austria precautionary law wanted to ban
  GMOs in agriculture for 3 years.
  Rejected by ECJ appeal?

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France No GMO in my municipality campaign

• supported by 12 organisations
• 1250 majors issued declarations
• 15 regions and 6 departments

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GM-Free Britain campaign

• Ban GM crops on council-controlled land
• GM-free policies for council services eg school
  meals
• Apply to prevent GM crops being grown (Art. 19
  2001/18/EC)
• 60 local authorities, over 18 million people

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Consumer opposition no market

• 70 of Europeans dont want GM food
• Virtually all supermarkets and food manufacturers
  have non-GM policies
• Very few GM-labelled foods on the shelves
  obscure products

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Tractors and trolleys against GM London,
October 2003
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March for GMO free regions Vienna, April 2006
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International GMO opposition day 2006 GM free
Beacons in the UK
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Industry frustration

• Chairman of EuropaBio and CEO of BASF, Hans
  Kast
• "We cannot accept a situation whereby these
  products are proved safe and then countries say
  we do not want this product ... They should get
  out of the EU and say we want to be on our own."
• "I have not heard that the people of Wales want
  to be GM free. Would Wales be allowed to say we
  don't want to have cars?"
• (Reported in the Western Mail, 3 June 2006)

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EU Legal context

• European Commission
• is against GM free zones, but accepts that
• it would be difficult to reject these attempts
  at establishing GM-free zones, which are driven
  by strong public local concern and economic
  considerations (such as protection of local
  traditional agriculture).

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The future

• Growing divide between what the public and local
  governments want, and what the European
  Commission, and some national governments are
  doing
• Need a change in EU law that gives countries,
  regions and local areas the right to decide
  whether GM crops can be grown
• EU policy should support environmentally-friendly
  and economically viable agriculture over GM
  technology
• Until then, campaigns must explore all legal and
  practical avenues to stay GM free
• GM free areas movement is a powerful symbol of
  opposition, for Europe and the rest of the world

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• www.gmofree-europe.org