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<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr lang=de><FONT size=2><FONT
face=Tahoma><SPAN class=080245813-01102003><FONT color=#0000ff face=Arial>Nicht
genug, aber besser als nichts, warum haben sich die deutschen <BR>Delegierten in
Brüssel da nicht eingereiht? Gruß, Sabine</FONT></SPAN></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=left class=OutlookMessageHeader dir=ltr lang=de><FONT size=2><FONT
face=Tahoma><SPAN class=080245813-01102003> </SPAN><BR></FONT><FONT
face=Arial></FONT><FONT size=2>Financial Times (London,England)<BR>September 30,
2003<BR><FONT size=4>Fischler urges EU states to lift modified-crops
ban</FONT><BR>By TOBIAS BUCK<BR>BRUSSELS<BR></FONT></FONT><BR><FONT
face=Arial><FONT size=2>Franz Fischler, the European Union farm commissioner,
yesterday pleaded<BR>with member states to lift their moratorium on the approval
of new<BR>genetically modified organisms, although some
<STRONG></FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>countries insisted
further<BR>legislation was needed to shield consumers and farmers
</FONT></STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>from potential<BR>hazards linked to the
technology.</FONT></DIV><PRE><FONT face=Arial>His call comes as Brussels faces strong international pressure to restart<BR>...following its five-year de facto ban on new approvals....<BR>The European Commission has pushed hard to make sure<SPAN class=080245813-01102003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2> </FONT></SPAN>the moratorium <BR>is lifted before a WTO panel rules on the case, which could<SPAN class=080245813-01102003><FONT color=#0000ff size=2> </FONT></SPAN>be next year <BR>at the earliest.</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>However, the Commission's efforts have run into opposition from some member<BR>states ....The EU this year passed two tough laws dealing with the labelling and<BR>traceability of GMOs…</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>However, countries such as <STRONG>Austria and Luxembourg said</STRONG> at a meeting of farm<BR>ministers in Brussels yesterday <STRONG>they would not back any new GMO<BR>authorisations without EU-wide rules on the "co-existence"</STRONG> of conventional,<BR>biological and GM farming.</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>Such rules would include measures aimed at preventing cross-pollination of<BR>GM and non-GM crops and would establish under what circumstances farmers<BR>would have to pay damages in case of such contamination. The Commission<BR>wants such rules to be established at a national level, to prevent any<BR>further delays.</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>Mr Fischler told the ministers yesterday: "It is important to note that the<BR>co-existence debate should not be misused for causes that will further<BR>delay the authorisations of new GMOs."</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>... EU officials ...said Austria and Luxembourg had failed to win broad <BR>Support... Josef Proll, Austria's farm minister, said<BR>there were "several countries leaning towards our position". Germany, for<BR>example, had backed Vienna's call for EU-wide rules...</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial>Despite Mr Proll's remarks, Commission officials said they remained<BR>optimistic that the ban would be lifted in time. "Austria has not caused a<BR>domino effect," said a spokesman for Mr Fischler.</FONT></PRE><PRE><FONT face=Arial></FONT> </PRE></BODY></HTML>