GREECE CALLS FOR EUROPEAN MORATORIUM ON GMOs AND BANS FIELD TRIALS
Klaus Merkle
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GREECE CALLS FOR EUROPEAN MORATORIUM ON GMOs AND BANS FIELD TRIALS
Brussels / Athens 01/04/1999 Greenpeace International today welcomed the
initiative of the Greek government for a European wide moratorium of all
commercial releases of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and of any
trade in genetically engineered seeds.
The initiative was released yesterday by the deputy minister for the
environment Theodoros Koliopanos in Athens. Koliopanos also announced that
all experimental plantings of GMOs presently pending in Greece have been
rejected. (1)
"This is another strong voice for precaution", said Greenpeace
Internationals genetic engineering expert Benedikt Haerlin, "and it is a
clear signal against the genetic contamination of Europe."
Haerlin welcomed Kolliopanos' announcement that Greece will seek to form
an alliance with like-minded European governments to at least block any
further approvals of GMOs.
At the next meeting of Environmental Ministers on June 24/25th the
revision of the European Directive on the deliberate release of GMOs
(90/220) is expected to be discussed.
"We call upon member states, especially the German Presidency, to take
swift action to stop further releases of GMOs in Europe as this appears to
be the consensus of a great majority of member states, and as all European
Institutions agree that the present regulations of Directive 90/220 are no
longer adequate" said Haerlin.
Presently the only member state of the European Union where commercial
releases of GMOs have taken place is Spain. According to the Swiss
multinational Novartis, around 20.000 hectares of their antibiotic
resistant and insect killing Bt-Maize had been planted there last year.
Novartis announced it will try to sell GMO maize again in Spain and
Germany this year. Planting of the same maize had been banned in France
last year. The maize is also banned in Austria and Luxembourg. In Great
Britain a voluntary agreement seems to prevent any commercial releases and
a similar agreement has been reached in Denmark.
For further information:
Thomas Schweiger, Greenpeace EU Unit, +32 2 2801400
http://www.greenpeace.org
(1) The field trails blocked by the ministry refer to two GE sugarbeet
varieties (Novartis, AgrEvo), four cotton varieties (3 Monsanto, 1
Rhone-Poulenc) and one maize variety (Monsanto).