9-Misc: Greens/EFA demand a more democratic, GM-free Europe

[GENET <coordination@genet-info.org>]

                                  PART I
-------------------------------- GENET-news -------------------------------

TITLE:  Greens/EFA demand a more democratic, GM-free Europe
        Letters to Barroso and Borrell
SOURCE: Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament
        http://www.greens-efa.org/en/
DATE:   22 Jul 2004

------------------- archive: http://www.genet-info.org/ -------------------


Greens/EFA demand a more democratic, GM-free Europe

Coinciding with the ratification of the European Commission's President,
the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament today publicly declared
its concern about the current political management of legislation related
to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

The Greens/EFA Group sent letters to the new President of the Commission
and the Parliament pointing out only nine out of 25 EU Member States are
in favour of granting marketing licenses for new GMOs, and that more than
70% of Europe's citizens are opposed to GM food.

In spite of this reality, the Commission has lifted Europe's moratorium
on new GMOs and has so far approved each new request to market GMOs in
the EU that it has received. The fact that the Commission can make such
decisions in the absence of Council agreement and without the backing of
the Parliament is incompatible with the democratic ideals promoted by the
Union, according to the Greens/EFA Group.

The new Parliament and Commission Presidents are asked in the letters to
return to a more democratic form of decision-making on new GMOs.

See text of the:
- letter to Mr José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission
- letter to Mr Josep Borrell, President of the European Parliament

****************************


Strasbourg, 22 July 2004

Mr José Manuel Durão Barroso,
President of the European Commission

Dear Mr President,

The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament would like to convey to
you its worries about the current management of the dossiers concerning
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

We note that the last five years of the GMO moratorium, during which the
European Union gained from the preparation of a number of legislative
texts paving the way for the arrival of future GMOs on the market, have
failed to convince European Agriculture and Environment Ministers to
accept by a qualified majority the least controversial of the
applications for marketing licenses for new GMOs. Like the Union of 15
before, the new Europe of 25 is deeply torn on the political consequences
of accepting genetically modified foodstuffs or derivatives on its territory.

There is significance in the fact that the last European Agriculture
Council on 19 July 2004 could not agree on a European Commission proposal
(11068/04) to allow the marketing of food stemming from the genetically
modified sweetcorn NK 603.

That meeting confirmed that 36% of the Member States of the Union support
GMOs, 36% oppose it and 28% abstain on making decisions. These figures
should be considered alongside the observation that between 70% and 80%
of Europe's citizens are themselves opposed to GM food.

In the absence of a qualified majority within the Council and according
to the comitology procedures in force, the Commission can, therefore,
decide on its own on whether to approve this application for a new GMO
marketing license.

The possibility that the Commission will alone decide to approve a
license that the vast majority of European citizens reject and which is
the subject of clear and recurring political division within the Council
of Ministers, seems to us to be incompatible with the democratic ideals
that the Union seeks to promote.

Mr President, with these political considerations in mind, we ask you to
plead strongly with the Commission to revise the comitology procedures in
order to make them more democratic and include a significant political
role for the European Parliament. This proposal, furthermore, is within
the spirit of the future European Constitution (Title III, Art. 35).

The Greens/EFA Group also wishes to draw your attention to the importance
of the next decision that the Commission must take regarding the
labelling of seeds. A proposal from the Environment Commissioner suggests
that there is no need to attach the "GMO" label to seeds contaminated up
to thresholds of 0.3% or 0.5%.

These thresholds are clearly too high. They will strongly mislead both
conventional and organic farmers who may unintentionally sow GMO-
contaminated seeds. We consider this to be politically contrary to the
traceability obligations contained in the Directive 2001/18 and entirely
contrary to the will of the European Parliament which, on 18 December
2003, adopted by a very large majority, a Resolution (Graefe zu
Baringdorf Report, A5-0465/2003) relating to coexistence between GM and
GM-free crops.

This is why we propose the adoption of a threshold of contamination of
non-GMO seeds which is clearly lower than the proposed thresholds and
conforms to the above Parliament Resolution.

Mr President, a qualified majority of European citizens oppose GM food,
and each subsequent European Council on the issue confirms the absence of
a majority of Member States in favour of GMOs. Considering this latter
fact especially, we consider that it would be disastrous for the
political and democratic credibility of the European institutions for
your Commission to continue in its path towards opening Europe's market
to GMOs without additional guarantees.

In the name of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament,

Daniel Cohn Bendit and Monica Frassoni


***********************


Strasbourg, 22 July 2004

Mr Josep Borrell,
President of the European Parliament


Dear Mr President,

The Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament would like to convey to
you its worries about the current management of the dossiers concerning
genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

We note that the last five years of the GMO moratorium, during which the
European Union gained from the preparation of a number of legislative
texts paving the way for the arrival of future GMOs on the market, have
failed to convince European Agriculture and Environment Ministers to
accept by a qualified majority the least controversial of the
applications for marketing licenses for new GMOs. Like the Union of 15
before, the new Europe of 25 is deeply torn on the political consequences
of accepting genetically modified foodstuffs or derivatives on its territory.

There is significance in the fact that the last European Agriculture
Council on 19 July 2004 could not agree on a European Commission proposal
(11068/04) to allow the marketing of food stemming from the genetically
modified sweetcorn NK 603.
 That meeting confirmed that 36% of the Member States of the Union
support GMOs, 36% oppose it and 28% abstain on making decisions. These
figures should be considered alongside the observation that between 70%
and 80% of Europe's citizens are themselves opposed to GM food.

In the absence of a qualified majority within the Council and according
to the comitology procedures in force, the Commission can decide on its
own on whether to approve this application for a new GMO marketing license.

The possibility that the Commission will alone decide to approve a
license that the vast majority of European citizens reject and which is
the subject of clear and recurring political division within the Council
of Ministers, seems to us to be incompatible with the democratic ideals
that the Union seeks to promote.

Mr President, with these political considerations in mind, we ask you to
support our proposal to ask the Commission to revise the comitology
procedures in order to make them more democratic and include a
significant political role for the European Parliament. This proposal,
furthermore, is within the spirit of the future European Constitution
(Title III, Art. 35).

Lastly, on the subject of the role of the Parliament as a democratic
representative of the citizens of the Union, we consider that demands
emerging from civil society regarding GMOs cannot be ignored. This is why
we hope the Parliament can take the important step of declaring itself
GM-FREE. In doing this it would adopt specifications requiring the no
GMOs be present in the food intended for the European institutions.

Mr President, a qualified majority of European citizens oppose GM food,
and each subsequent European Council on the issue confirms the absence of
a majority of Member States in favour of GMOs. Considering this latter
fact especially the European Parliament must show that it has understood
the message sent by Europe's citizens and that it will work towards
achieving what Europe wants.

In the name of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament,

Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Monica Frassoni

 _______________________

For further information, please contact: Helmut Weixler
Head of Press Office
The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament
Tel: (Bxl) +32 2 2844683
phone: 0032 475 671 340
fax: 0032 2 2844944
mobile phone: 0032-475-67 13 40
hweixler@europarl.eu.int


                                  PART II
-------------------------------- GENET-news -------------------------------

TITLE:  Commission rejects Greens' criticism of 'undemocratic' GM
        authorisations
SOURCE: Cordis News, European Communities
        http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=
        D&SESSION=&RCN=EN_RCN_ID:22374
DATE:   27 Jul 2004

------------------- archive: http://www.genet-info.org/ -------------------


Commission rejects Greens' criticism of 'undemocratic' GM authorisations

The Commission has rejected concerns expressed by the Green/EFA Group in
the European Parliament that the EU's authorisation process for
genetically modified organisms (GMOs) is 'incompatible with the
democratic ideals that the Union seeks to promote.'

Under the current system, known as the comitology procedure, if the
Council fails to reach a qualified majority decision to either approve or
reject a GM authorisation request within three months, it is then left to
the Commission to take a decision.

As in the most recent authorisation cases, concerning two different
varieties of GM maize, the Commission's decision draws heavily on
scientific assessments carried out by the European Food Safety Authority.
In both these cases EFSA concluded that the GM maize varieties were as
safe as conventional sweetcorn, and the Commission duly approved the
authorisations.

According to the Green/EFA Group, the fourth largest political grouping
in the newly elected parliament, only nine out of 25 EU Member States are
in favour of granting marketing licences for new GMOs, and more than 70
per cent of Europe's citizens are opposed to GM food.

In letters sent to the new President designate of the Commission, José
Barroso, and President of the European Parliament, Josep Borrell, the
Greens argue that: '[T]he Commission has lifted Europe's moratorium on
GMOs and has so far approved each new request to market GMOs in the EU
that it has received.'

'The fact that the Commission can make such decisions in the absence of
Council agreement and without the backing of the Parliament is
incompatible with the democratic ideals promoted by the Union,' the
letters continue.

However, a spokesperson for Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner
David Byrne rejected the argument that the comitology procedure is
undemocratic, and told CORDIS News: 'This is not the first time we've
heard that argument - it's not true, simple as that. The legislative
process being used is set out in the Treaty, and was adopted by
Parliament and Council in full awareness of the consequences.'

In their letter to Mr Barroso, the Greens 'plead strongly' with him to
revise the comitology procedures in order to make them more democratic,
including a significant political role for the European Parliament.
However, Mr Byrne's spokesperson said: 'You cannot have every technical
decision going through a two year codecision procedure. The decision
making process would grind to a halt.'

For further information, please consult the following web address:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/index_en.htm

Category: General policy
Data Source Provider: Greens/EFA Group and a spokesperson for David Byrne
Document Reference: Based on information from the Greens/EFA Group and a
spokesperson for David Byrne
Subject Index : Biotechnology; Safety; Legislation, Regulations; Policies
RCN: 22374




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