|
February 25, 2004
Source:
EUpolitix.com via
Checkbiotech.org
The European Commission on Tuesday
came out in favour of Germany’s plans for the co-existence of GM
and non-GM crops.
Farm commissioner Franz Fischler at a
meeting of agriculture ministers on Tuesday said that he fully
supported German proposals to protect conventional and organic
farmland from contamination by biotech crops.
His comments came after a presentation by Berlin laying out the
current state of play for German GM farmers, who are financially
liable if they contaminate other non-GM crops.
“In the commission’s view the German initiative on co-existence
is a good one.”
“We are currently checking whether the legal principles of
community law have been taken into account.”
He said that other member states wanting to legislate on
co-existence will have to first present their proposals to the
commission, so that it can make sure they are compatible with
community law.
Austria, Luxembourg, Denmark and Germany again said that they
would prefer community level laws to this piecemeal approach.
But Italy said that the German law was “an important point of
reference”.
Meanwhile Irish minister Joe Walsh said he had not yet decided
when and if the council will have to discuss the approval of
Monsanto-marketed GM corn BT-11.
He said he would make a decision “before the council meeting” of
agriculture ministers in March.
BT-11 was approved by a meeting of commissioners in January and
now has to get past the scrutiny of national governments.
If a decision is not reached by the end of April it will return
to the commission who, given that there is no legal basis for
banning the product, will have to allow it.
If therefore Walsh decides not to schedule BT-11 for an Irish
presidency agriculture council, it will be approved by default
and without member state approval.
© 2004 EUpolitix.com |
