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The Commission's final act: you will eat GM foods!


Brussels, 26 October. Friends of the Earth have condemned today's decision by the European Commission to allow the import of a genetically modified (GM) maize into Europe. The GM maize is produced by the US based gene giant Monsanto. The environment group accuses the Commission of putting "corporate America" before public safety and democracy.

The Commission, in one of its final acts before handing over to new Commissioners next week, approved the import of Monsanto's GM maize called NK603. It has been genetically modified to be resistant to Monsanto's own herbicide called RoundUp. In July the Commission approved NK603 for animal feed but today's decision to agree it for human food as now well allows Monsanto to import NK603 into Europe. Only 11 out of 25 member states are believed to have supported it in an indicative vote taken in June this year (1). Using its legal powers the Commission can make the decision itself if there is no consensus amongst member states.

Friends of the Earth is critical of the Monsanto application which:

- Fails to look at the corn's effects on subsequent generations, cumulative toxic effects and the effects on the health of sensitive consumers as required under EU food law (2)
- insufficiently investigated the possibility of the genetic modification causing more allergies (3)

Friends of the Earth is accusing the Commission of caving in to the pressure that the US administration has put on the EU in tabling a complaint at the WTO against Europe's biotech policy.

Geert Ritsema, GM Coordinator for Friends of the Earth Europe said:

"This is a shameful final act by the out-going European Commission. Despite scientific disagreements over its safety and huge public rejection the Commission decided instead to put the interests of corporate America before the safety of Europeans. One wonders why ? "

Notes to Editors

A BRIEFING ON NK603 CAN BE FOUND AT: http://www.foeeurope.org/GMOs/pending/index.htm
1. Against: Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Lithuania and Luxembourg
Abstained: Belgium, Germany, Spain, Slovakia and Slovenia
In favour: Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Sweden and UK
2. Article 14(4) of Regulation 178/2002
3. International guidance on allergy testing that EU scientists produced in 2003 should mean that Monsanto would have to do more thorough testing.

CONTACTS
Geert Ritsema Friends of the Earth Europe - mobile +31 (0)6 290 05 908

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.