Dr. Franz FISCHLER
Member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries

Europe at the crossroads Finding a sustainable approach on biotechnology

Symposium AGRIBEX
Brussels, 13 February 2002

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Let me thank the organisers for this symposium on a very current and important issue. I would first
like to make a few general remarks about the political challenge that we are facing in the field of
biotechnology. This will lead me to the question of the general approach that the European Union is
currently taking in this issue. Finally, I will address the issue of how to integrate the new technologies
into our agricultural production.

Over the last decade, we have observed a dramatic progress in the area of life sciences. It is a
progress that we just cannot ignore. From medicine to agriculture, there is hardly any area of natural
and scientific activity that is not affected by new research results.

The new technologies offer both new opportunities but also new risks. On the opportunities side,
there is a chance to increase the yield of agricultural plants, to improve their resistance to insects
and illnesses and to increase the competitiveness of European farmers. However, there are also
risks. Our citizens are asking many questions, and rightly so. They are asking: Can we eat food that
has been genetically modified? Do GMOs represent a threat to the environment or cause allergies?
And farmers are asking whether the use of GM seeds could have a negative impact on other plants.

It is high time that we find a way to deal with these questions. Many research results have been
brought on the table, but our policies are still lagging behind. Let us take a look at the facts: today
world-wide, no less than 50 million hectares of land in 13 countries have been planted commercially
with genetically modified crops. In Europe, however, we are lacking a shared vision and a common
objective regarding the new technologies. This has led to a situation in which we are dealing on a
provisionary basis. This situation is not sustainable.

Therefore, the European Commission has issued a new strategy on life sciences and biotechnology
some weeks ago. Europe is at a crossroads in which direction we want to go. This is the philosophy
that stands behind our strategy. We have to stop making decisions on such a difficult issue as
biotechnology on a purely emotional basis. At the same time, however, we have to include ethical
considerations into our decision making.

Now what are our tasks from an agricultural perspective? As the title of this symposium rightly
indicates, we have to find a way to integrate the new technologies into our existing production. What
is at stake? Farmers are rightly worried that GM crops could mix accidentally with other crops. What
we have to guarantee therefore is a system of co-existence of conventional with GM crops.

First of all, farmers that grow conventional or organic crops have to be protected. We have to ensure
this protection both on a European and on a Member State level. The Commission has therefore
issued a new Directive last July on the deliberate release into the environment of GMOs. With this
directive, that will have to be agreed upon by the Council and in the European Parliament, we
introduce a risk assessment that will have to look at the question of spreading of GMOs. This
includes two questions: firstly, the potential of gene transfer from GM to non-GM crops, and secondly
the question of how easily GM crops can spread.

In addition to this new legislation, the European Union has initiated a study that analyses the
question of accidental contamination with GM crops. The results of this study will be known in a few
weeks. However, it can already be said that the situation differs considerably according to the crop.
For potatoes, for instance, co-existence does not present a problem with the thresholds of our
existing GMO draft regulations.

On the other hand, for maize, changes in farming practices are needed to keep adventitious
presence below the threshold. And for seed production of oilseed rape, the necessary changes in
farming practices can be substantial, and their costs may be fairly high. This makes co-existence
difficult from a technical as well as an economic point of view.

For organic farming, the situation is particularly difficult. European consumers expect organic food to
be completely free of GMOs, but organic farms may in some cases face a higher probability of
adventitious presence of GMOs than conventional farms, due to problems of controlling so-called
volunteers with organic practices, which do cause spontaneous cross-pollination. However, it seems
that accidental contamination with GMOs is lower on organic farms because separate production and
marketing channels already exist for organic produce.

If GMOs should be introduced in the future on a large scale, farms will have to segregate production
and marketing chains in the future in order to make GM products traceable. In addition to this,
appropriate measures at the farm level are needed to minimise the contamination with GMOs.
Examples are the introduction of sowing date differences between GM and non-GM varieties, or
region-wide border management.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

If we want to get anywhere with new methods that science is offering us, it is absolutely paramount
to keep the consumer in mind. Agriculture today is demand driven, and we will not be able to sell our
products if we do not win the confidence of the consumers. This is true for the existing agricultural
production, but it is even more so in the case of GM products. The consumer must be free to choose
between GM and non-GM products. In order to do so, we have to introduce an EU-wide labelling
system. However, the labelling will be worthless if we do not manage to segregate GM and GM-free
on the fields of European farmers.

The EU is ready to take measures at all levels of the food chain to guarantee that consumers have
the choice. However, what is important that we start moving in order to do so. Let us stop taking
decisions on an emotional basis. Let us start working on a system that guarantees that the concerns
of our society are met. Let us start moving in the direction we want to take, or others will move us in
their direction.

Thank you.