[Gen-Streitfall] Dutch MPs hear : "WTO: Hands off my plate"]

[Mittler, Daniel]

zur Kenntnis ...

Daniel Mittler
BUND - Friends of the Earth Germany
Referat Internationales - International Campaigns
Am Köllnischen Park 1
10179 Berlin - Germany
daniel.mittler at bund.net
T: +49 30 275 86468 M: +49 173 923 4747
F: +49 30 275 86440
www.bund.net; www.foeeurope.org; www.foei.org

Einspruch! Nein zu Gen-Food per WTO Zwangsverordnung. Aktiv werden - hier:
www.GENug-WTO.de/einspruch.html




-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Celine Bernard [mailto:celine.bernard at foeeurope.org]
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 18. Februar 2004 13:02
An: wtogmo at foeeurope.org; geneva-action; tradewar at foeeurope.org
Betreff: [geneva-action] [Fwd: [foepressreleases] Dutch MPs hear : "WTO:
Hands off my plate"]


-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [foepressreleases] Dutch MPs hear : "WTO: Hands off my
plate"
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2004 12:50:22 +0100
From: "FoEI media coord. Niccolo Sarno" <media at foei.org>
Reply-To: foepressreleases-owner at yahoogroups.com
Organization: Friends of the Earth International FoEI
To: media at foei.org
CC: eugene van Haaren <eugene.van.haaren at milieudefensie.nl>
BCC:
unmedia at members.foei.org,foepressreleases at yahoogroups.com,FOEI_TES at yahoogrou
ps.com

MEDIA ADVISORY 
Friends of the Earth Netherlands / Milieudefensie

Dutch MPs hear : "WTO: Hands off my plate" 

Amsterdam (The Netherlands), 18 February 2004 - Dutch Members of
Parliament (MPs) today received 150 dinner plates decorated with
the text  "WTO: Hands off my plate". MPs from several parties
came to the entrance of the Parliament building to collect their
plates.

The plates were delivered to MPs at 09:45 by Friends of the Earth
Netherlands and HIVOS directors and representatives of the
organisations Platform Aarde Boer Consument and
Natuurvoedingswinkels (organic food shops).

This action took place the day the European Union in Brussels,
under pressure from the World Trade Organisation (WTO), was
discussing the approval of a genetically modified (GM) maize for
import in  Europe. 
If approved, this GM food would be the first GM food approved in
Europe since 1998 despite the fact that a majority of Europeans
do not want GM foods.

The civil society representatives who delivered the plates at the
entrance of the Parliament buidling are calling on the Dutch
Parliament to take action to prevent genetically modified food
from entering the European Union. 

In May last year the US, Canada and Argentina filed a complaint
to the WTO. The countries claimed that an EU ban (moratorium) on
genetically modified crops in place since 1998 has caused them
millions of dollars of losses. 

The EU s policy was put in place because there was no proper
legislation for GM labelling, liability and co-existence (how GM
and non-GM crops can exist together)..

If the WTO rules that the complaint is valid, the EU risks
economic sanctions. The civil society organisations fear that the
EU will cave in under the threat of these sanctions and lift its
moratorium.

The organisations claim that the United Nations, not the WTO,
should be the body to judge this complaint. The role of the WTO
is to deal with trade issues whereas the United Nations can also
take international environmental treaties concerning food and
safety into 
account. 

Anne van Schaik of Friends of the Earth Netherlands  said: "The
Dutch government should protect consumer and environmental
interests and not give in to WTO pressure and support a handful
of biotech corporations. If Europe caves in to this complaint it
will be even 
more difficult for developing countries to say no to GM crops
they don't want."

Today's 'plate protest' marks the launch in the Netherlands of an
international  campaign called against the complaint filed by the
US, Argentina and Canada at WTO. 

The campaign [1] is a citizen's objection to the WTO and demands
that the WTO dismisses the complaint. In the coming months
Friends of the Earth Netherlands and 13 other other Dutch
organisations will be mobilising support for the citizen's
objection. The Dutch campaign is 
part of a worldwide initiative active in more than 10 countries. 

The citizen's objection will be presented to the WTO's director
general in June in Geneva.

In the Netherlands the campaign "WTO: Hands off my plate" is a
Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) initiative
together with ASEED Europe, Biologica, Evert Vermeer Stichting,
Goede Waar & Co, Hivos, ICCO, Kerkinactie, De Natuurwinkels/
Natuurvoedings Winkel 
Organisatie, Nederlands Platform Gentechnologie, Platform Aarde
Boer Consument, Stichting Duurzame Solidariteit, Stichting Natuur
en Milieu, XminY Solidariteitsfonds

For more information:
Friends of the Earth Netherlands (Milieudefensie) Press Office, 
+31 (0)20 5507 333

NOTES:

[1] For more information on the campaign check
http://www.bite-back.org