Defra has today written to interested stakeholders setting out the consultation process it will follow to inform its decisions on the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley said today:

"We are keen to engage with stakeholders to find the best way forward on this issue. We do not expect GM crops to be grown here commercially for some time, but we need to have clear co-existence arrangements in place beforehand. Our aim is to have measures in
place next year."

It will be a two-stage consultation process. The first phase will comprise a series of workshops to discuss particular aspects of the overall issue, including:

- the co-existence measures needed at farm level for each crop type
- the threshold for GM presence in relation to organic production
- guidance on the possible establishment of voluntary GM-free zones

Defra will organise the workshops, inviting specific stakeholders to attend. The workshops are expected to take place over the summer and early autumn. The second phase will start with a consultation paper in the autumn for comment by all stakeholders. The paper will set out the relevant background and options for consideration, taking account of the workshop discussions in the first phase. After this written consultation the Government will then put in place the required arrangements.

BACKGROUND

1. Margaret Beckett set out the Government's overall policy on GM crops in a Parliamentary statement on 9 March 2004. In line with this, Defra will consult on:

* a proposal that farmers growing GM crops should comply with a code of practice on co-existence which has statutory backing, with the aim of ensuring that unwanted GM presence in non-GM crops is within the 0.9% labelling threshold adopted by the EU
* whether a threshold below 0.9% should apply in relation to organic production
* options for providing compensation to non-GM farmers who suffer financially because a GM presence exceeds the statutory threshold
* the provision of guidance to farmers interested in establishing voluntary GM-free zones

2. If GM crops are grown there are various ways that they may transfer a GM presence (DNA or protein) into conventional or organic crops, including via cross-pollination. Under EU law a crop grown from non-GM seed must be sold as 'GM' if it has an adventitious or technically unavoidable GM presence above 0.9%. Measures such as crop separation distances can be applied to minimise GM presence in non-GM crops.

3. Co-existence is a devolved matter and the authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are therefore responsible for developing their own policies to apply in their territories. However, they are working closely with Defra on this issue and will contribute to the discussion workshops that Defra is organising. Like Defra, it is envisaged that they will publish their own co-existence
consultation papers later this year.

4. The European Commission has issued guidelines on co-existence for consideration by Member States. In developing its co-existence policy the Government has also had regard to the report on this issue by the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Committee. These reports are available at www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/crops/index.htm