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GM crops: recipe for disaster
Friends of the Earth urges Governments to ban GM seeds

Brussels, 8 September - Friends of the Earth has condemned today's decision by the European Commission to allow farmers to commercially grow up to 17 different types of genetically modified (GM) maize seeds in fields across the whole of Europe. The Commission also dropped from the agenda any decision to legalise the widespread GM contamination of conventional crops.

Friends of the Earth, Europe's largest grassroots environmental network, believes the proposals will threaten Europe's food and farming and take away consumers right to avoid GM food. They have called on Governments to use EU law to ban the seed varieties. (1)

Geert Ritsema, GMO Campaign Coordinator of Friends of the Earth Europe said:

"The European Commission's proposals are a recipe for disaster. They will lead to the widespread contamination of Europe's food, farming and environment and take away consumers ability to avoid GM. European member states must step in where the Commission has failed and ban these GM seeds."

Commenting on the decision not to discuss seed contamination, Ritsema continued:

"Friends of the Earth welcomes this decision and believes that the Commission now has a golden opportunity to bring out better proposals that will protect people and the environment. Public safety must come before the financial interests of the biotechnology industry.."

At today's meeting the outgoing European Commission decided to add 17 varieties of a GM maize made by Monsanto to Europe's Common Catalogue of seeds. (2) The seeds will now be commercially available to farmers across the whole EU, the first time that a GM seed has been added to the common catalogue. Only one country - Denmark - has so far put in place "co-existence" measures aimed at preventing the  uncontrolled spread of GMOs in the food chain and the environment. Without coexistence rules the
widespread contamination of conventional crops is highly likely, posing a massive threat to Europe's food, farming and environment.

Notes to editors
1. According to a leaked Communication from Commissioner David Byrne "any Member State may object to the marketing on their territory of any such GM variety if they consider there is a risk for human health, the environment or agronomic reasons." (Whole communication available from Friends of the
Earth)

2. Monsanto's MON810 maize, which is modified to produce a toxin to resist a type of insect, already has a EU wide licence through GM legislation. However, up to now it has not been made available to farmers through the EU common catalogue. Six of the varieties are already on the national seed lists in France (but not grown commercially as far as we are aware) and 11 are listed on the Spanish seed list.

Contact:
Geert Ritsema, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile 00 31 (0)6 290 05 908
Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile 00 49 (0)1609 490 1163

Friends of the Earth Europe campaigns for sustainable and fair societies and for the protection of the environment,
unites more than 30 national organisations with thousands of local groups
and is part of the world's largest grassroots environmental network, Friends of the Earth International.