EU debates GMOs at highest levels



The future of GMOs in Europe is being debated at the highest levels. The current EU Presidency, held by France, has set up a working group to look at the risk assessment procedures for GMOs. This leaves some possibility to improve the health, environmental and socio-economic aspects of GMO approvals in the EU. At the same time, however, the pro-GMO President of the European Commission, annoyed at Europe's reluctance to approve GMOs, wrote to all Prime Ministers and Presidents in the summer of 2008 telling them to send a political representative to Brussels. Find out more about what Friends of the Earth Europe discovered from leaked reports

Rising prices for animal feed
The facts behind the fiction


Photo credit: Heartland Jerseys

The EU's stance on GMOs is not a threat to the livestock industry, contrary to claims by the industry and the European Commission. This scaremongering is an attempt to use rising animal feed prices to weaken EU GMO policy. This is also being used by the biotech industry to push for the "zero tolerance" policy to be dropped.
But it is in fact the blind rush for agrofuels and poor weather conditions that are causing the worldwide shortages in key feed crops.

Click here for more information and resources on zero tolerance.
Read Friends of the Earth's GMO livestock briefing for the facts behind the fiction.

Who benefits from GM crops?
The increase in pesticide use

Photo credit: John Payment (yogipayment@yahoo.ca)