[Gen-Streitfall] GMO trade dispute: Commission caves in to US/WTO pressure on GMOS

[Sabine Altmann]

Dies ist eine weitergeleitete Nachricht
Von    : Alexandra Wandel <alexandra.wandel at foeeurope.org>
An     : "SoS-WTO-EU at egroups.com" <SoS-WTO-EU at yahoogroups.com>,
testeam at foeeurope.org
Datum  : Freitag, 30. Januar 2004, 11:00
Betreff: [SoS-WTO-EU] GMO trade dispute: Commission caves in to US/WTO
pressure on GMOS

===8<=================== Original Nachrichtentext ===================
Dear S2B friends,

Following the  US led complaint at the WTO against the EU's GMO 
moratorium and specific national safeguard measures, the European 
Commission held a meeting last wednesday and has decided to cave in to 
WTO and US pressure.

Specifically, they decided to

-approve the proposal to authorize a GM sweet corn BT11 for food use 
which will now be forwarded to the Council for a decision in the next 3 
months. If they 'fail' to do so, the Commission will gives its approval. 
This will be the end of the moratorium.

- address at the EU level the individual safeguard measures on GMOs 
which have been adopted by various Member States and which are targeted 
by the WTO case.

The Commission text is available at 
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/0
4/118%7C0%7CRAPID&lg=en&display=

(for WTO related measures see the quotes below)

In reaction to the Commission's new adopted GMO approach this wednesday, 
the US has stated it will still maintain  the WTO case. Even if the 
moratorium will end and GMO will approved, national safeguard measures 
exist (see article below from eupolitix.com).

The US also considers attacking the new GM legilsation on labelling and 
traceability that will come into force in April in the EU.

Already in December, Argentinian Agriculture Secretray Campose has  said 
his country was prepared to challenged the new legislation on his own 
and that his government had requested US authorities to help make a case 
at the WTO (see attached article from bridges).

So the GM case will stay alive but the Commission's attempt to lift the 
moratorium and national safeguard measures due to the current US/WTO 
pressure is very worrisome,

Alexandra Wandel
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
alexandra wandel
trade and sustainability programme co-ordinator
friends of the earth europe (FoEE)
15, rue blanche (NEW number)
B-1050 Brussels (NEW postal code!)
fon: +32 2 542 01 89 (direct).
http://www.foeeurope.org and http://www.foei.org


don't let the WTO tell you what to eat - BITE BACK!!  www.bite-back.org