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2-Plants: Brazil Minister of Agriculture says GE soy approval depend on the courts

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TITLE:  Pratini says transgenic soybean depend on the courts
SOURCE: Agncia Estado, Brasil, by Jane Miklasevicius
        translation by David Hathaway, Brasil
        http://www.estadao.com.br/agestado/noticias/2001/ago/08/207.htm
DATE:   August 8, 2001

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Pratini says transgenic soybean depend on the courts

Brazil's Minister of Agriculture, Pratini de Moraes, today alleged pending 
suits in federal courts to justify his government's retreat on the promise 
made two weeks ago to authorize the planting of Monsanto's transgenic 
soybean, "Roundup Ready".

Ever since the Public Prosecutor's Office went to court to sue the minister 
over his declarations in favor of genetically-modified soybeans and his 
promise to authorize planting, Pratini has avoided commenting on the matter.

Today, before anouncing the government's 2001-2002 Farm Plan at a seminar 
on crop outlooks organized by the National Agriculture Confederation, he 
said that the release of transgenic soybeans is up to the National 
Technical Commission on Biosafety (CTNBio), and that all the Agriculture 
Ministry does is to register seed varieties.

Court decisions have prohibited the planting of transgenic soybeans since 
1999. Two weeks ago, the Agriculture Ministry argued that a Dec. 2000 
executive decree (MP 2137) gave the CTNBio powers that would supercede 
those decisions, which have now returned to the Minister's agenda of 
outstanding problems.

====================

Pratini diz que soja transgnica depende da Justia

Braslia - O ministro da Agricultura, Pratini de Moraes, alegou hoje a 
existncia de pendncias judiciais para o recuo do governo na liberao do 
plantio da soja transgnica Roundup Ready, da Monsanto, conforme havia sido 
anunciado h cerca de 15 dias.

Desde que o Ministrio Pblico ingressou na Justia com uma ao contra o 
ministro, por suas declaraes em favor da soja geneticamente modificada e 
a promessa de autorizao do plantio, Pratini tem se esquivado de comentar 
o assunto.

Hoje, antes de apresentar o Plano Agrcola e Pecurio 2001/02, durante 
seminrio sobre perspectivas do plantio, promovido pela Confederao 
Nacional da Agricultura, ele disse que a liberao da soja transgnica 
depende da Comisso Tcnica Nacional de Biossegurana (CTNBio) e ao 
Ministrio da Agricultura cabe apenas registrar o gro.

A liminar que impede o plantio de soja transgnica vigora desde 1999. H 
duas semanas, o Ministrio da Agricultura alegava que a MP 2.137, que 
define a competncia da CTNBio, publicada em dezembro do ano passado, 
anulava o efeito da liminar. Agora, a liminar volta a ser uma das 
pendncias judiciais que o Ministrio da Agricultura quer ver resolvida.



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