Press release - 18 March, 2006
Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, March 18, 2006 - Greenpeace today welcomed, with reservations, a last minute compromise at the Biosafety Protocol negotiations which improves standards of identification of genetically engineered organisms in international shipments of food and feed. However, the new regulations fall short of fully protecting vulnerable developing countries from unidentified and potentially illegal GMO imports.
"The vast majority of the 132 member states party to the
Biosafety Protocol came to the meeting intending to propose clear
language requiring the clear identification of shipments which
contain GMOs," said Greenpeace International's Benedikt
Haerlin from the meeting in Curitiba. "What they've come away with
is 'may contain GMOs'. While this weak agreement is an
improvement on the current regulations, it doesn't go far
enough.
"Responsibility for this compromise decision falls squarely at
the feet of a minority group of vested interests led by
transnational Agro-Biotech firms, commodity traders, the US,
Canada and Argentina (not members of the Protocol), who used
countries like Mexico and Paraguay as stalking horses to hijack
proceedings from the very start, turning crucial international
negotiations on the issues of biodiversity, biosafety and human
health into hard-nosed trade deals.
"In the process, Mexico and Paraguay have betrayed the
aspirations of developing countries, who, despite the mild
improvements in the regulations, will now be obliged to look to
additional national legislation to protect themselves," concluded
Haerlin.
Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation which
uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global
environmental Problems, and to force solutions essential to a green
and peaceful future.
Further information:
Benedikt Haerlin, Greenpeace International GE spokesperson, +55
41 9682 3117
Mariana Paoli, Greenpeace International GE Campaigner +55 41
9677 1824
Michael Kessler, Greenpeace International Communications +34
660 637 053