Protest against GMOs at the EU Environment Council: Make precaution a reality

Press release - June 27, 2006
Luxembourg/Brussels, International — As EU Environment ministers discuss today in Luxembourg the failures of the EU to properly evaluate risks of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and to apply the precautionary principle, Greenpeace activists erected in front of the Council building 25 Statues of Liberty that are holding forks and wearing sashes that say: "Liberty for Europe to be GMO-free!”. The statues represent the consumers of the 25 member states.

Greenpeace is highlighting the fact that the EU and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, in charge of GMO risk assessment) have ignored their own standards for health and environment protection in order to facilitate GMO approvals, in the hope of appeasing the US, the main exporter of GM products.

"Greenpeace urges Environment ministers to do their job, which is to ensure that the protection of the environment and public health are put ahead of the financial interests of a handful of agro-chemical companies," said Christoph Then, Greenpeace GMO campaigner. "It's time precaution stopped being an empty slogan and became a reality of EU policymaking. It's hypocritical to have the European Commission preaching to the US about the risks of GMOs at WTO level but in reality are caving in to US pressure when it comes to GMO approvals in the EU."

As the EU Council discuss what measures should be taken by the Commission to improve the risk assessment of GMOs [1], and what should be the role of the precautionary principle on GMO authorisations, Greenpeace urges Environment ministers to stop GMO authorisations and to develop detailed and legally binding procedures to ensure the application of the precautionary principle and a proper implementation of the existing legal standards on the evaluation of risks of GMOs on health and biodiversity.

As EFSA has repeatedly breached its legal obligations to take into account Member States comments and to evaluate long-term effects of GMOs, and appears unwilling to question its own procedures, Greenpeace argues that Member States should stop GMO authorisations and develop new detailed procedures, which should be legally binding on EFSA.

The precautionary principle is a key tool of EU decision-making, which should ensure that scientific uncertainties on the impacts of GMOs on health and biodiversity are clearly identified and trigger the rejection of a GMO application.

Greenpeace is an independent, campaigning organisation which uses non-violent, creative confrontation to expose global environmental problems, and to drive solutions essential to a green and peaceful future.

Other contacts:

Christoph Then, [campaigner in Luxembourg] Greenpeace Germany GMO campaigner, +49 171 878 0832
Eric Gall, Greenpeace EU unit policy advisor in Brussels, +32 (0) 496 16 15 82
Suzette Jackson, Greenpeace International communications officer, +31 6 4619 7324

VVPR info:

PHOTO CALL AND INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY:
Environment Council meeting
Centre de Conférence du Kiem
rue Carlo Hemmer
Luxembourg-Kirchberg
Tuesday 27 June 2006
From 08.30 am

Notes:

[1] Following strong criticisms against EFSA by more than 20 Member States at the last Environment Council, the Commission proposed on 12 April a
series of measures aimed at improving the risk assessment of GMOs and the work of EFSA "within the existing legal framework". The Commission
asked the EFSA "to provide more detailed justification, in its opinions on individual applications, for not accepting scientific objections raised by the
national competent authorities" and "to address more explicitly potential long-term effects and bio-diversity issues in their risk assessments for the
placing on the market of GMOs".
See : IP/06/498, Brussels, 12 April 2006, “Commission proposes practical improvements to the way the European GMO legislative framework is
implemented”
Recently published documents show that the European Commission has serious concerns about negative environmental and health impacts of GMOs.
See: http://eu.greenpeace.org/downloads/gmo/WTOpapers060418.pdf

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