Lobbies trying to force GMOs on Europe

It is necessary today to evalutate the technological choices resulting from research, based on scientific, ecological, economic, social and ethical criteria. This kind of risk assessment is the only way to legitimise the entry of any scientific application into the social sphere.
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José Bové, Green MEP
JOSE BOVE: "THE LOBBIES ARE TRYING TO FORCE GMOS ON EUROPE"
Le Monde [France],

http://www.lemonde.fr/planete/chat/2010/07/13/ogm-l-europe-va-t-elle-ceder_13872...

[Translation courtesy of GM-free Ireland]

In a chat on LeMonde.fr, the Green MEP José Bové says that the proposals of John Dalli, the European Commissioner for health, create a framework to push GMOs inside European borders.

Chat moderated by Hervé Kempf

Toublant : Is Europe strong enough to face the lobbies of the big transnational corporations?

José Bové : The lobbies are all based in Brussels, and they try to impose their aims, including GMOs, on the Commission, and also on the Parliament. That said, one senses more and more resistance within the European Parliament in relation to questions that impinge on food and health. And the last vote of the Parliament to ban cloned meat and nanoparticles is proof of this.

Maxime : I'd like to know if you are not too discouraged by these money-hungry multinationals which will do anything to commercialise their seeds. Do you still have hope?

José Bové : In the twelve years since the start of this stuggle against the GM seed companies, we have won an important result against the odds, which is the affirmation of European public opinion against GMOs in farming and food.

And last week in Strasbourg, a majority of the Parliament said it favoured the labelling of produce from livestock fed on GMOs. Which shows that things are moving ahead toward GM-free farming.

isabelle : What are you concerned about in the Commission's proposal? After all, it looks as if it is returning their free choice in this dossier to the Member States?

José Bové : There are two concerns in the Commission's proposal. They both arise in a context where Commissioner Barroso clearly states that he himself favours the spread of GMOs inside the European frontiers. The proposals made this very day by Commissioner Dalli set the stage for the entry of these GMOs.

There are a number of problems : the first is a weakening of the risk assessment unit of EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority), including notably the promotion of substantial equivalence, which is the Trojan horse that was used when GMOs were launched in the USA

Second, Dalli's proposal is a false correct answer, because the renationalisation of GMOs will create problems for intra-European trade. Since there are no state controls at their borders, GMO products will circulate in all directions and contaminate consumers' food, to the extent that it will be impossible to organise segregated food chains.

In this regard, Commissioner Dalli says that the measures taken by the Member States must conform with the treaty, particularly in relation to the principle of non-discrimination between national and non-national production.

Another problem created by this re-nationalisation: the distortion of competition for organic farmers. Indeed, the selling capacity will be completely different for an organic farmer in a country where GMOs are banned, and an organic farmer where they are allowed.

These two first reasons will clearly create a risk of conflicts between Member States, whose only solution will be to appeal to the European Court of Justice.

Final problem : the WTO headache. Indeed, the 27 Member States are now represented by the European Commission when facing the WTO. And what will be the attitude of companies like Monsanto and others?

Will they, for example the United States or Argentina, turn against the Member States? And how will the Commission react? Will it defend its own proposal to allow things to take their course, or will it support the countries which will decide to ban GMO varieties?

TVR : Will Europe not risk depriving itself of a big part of the innovation and investment for research and development, if it adopts a too strong position on this theme? European groups like Bayer Crop are delocalising their R&D work.

José Bové : I don't think that GMOs are the main innovation in agriculture today.

I think there is truly a need to develop agriculture starting from biodiversity, especially by promoting participatory research between scientists and farmers.

This notably because of climate changes and the need to face new constraints linked either to water shortage or new agronomic conditions.

cont.