The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan T.D., announced today that she was publishing the 'Report on Coexistence of GM and non-GM Crops in Ireland' and inviting observations from interested parties. The Report is now available on the Department's website. A hard copy has been sent to stakeholders who made submissions to the Working Group which prepared the Report.

The Report was compiled by an Interdepartmental Working Group comprised of representatives of the Department of Agriculture and Food, the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Teagasc and the Environmental Protection Agency. The remit of the Group, which commenced its work in August 2003, was to examine issues relating to the coexistence of authorised GM crops alongside non GM crops and to develop proposals for a national strategy and best practices in Ireland. In drawing up the Report the Group considered submissions from many interested stakeholders.

Minister Coughlan said that since October 2001, the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers have introduced a series of new legislative measures for the evaluation, approval, control and monitoring of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). This legislation is binding on all Member States and is aimed at ensuring that the highest standards of food safety and environmental protection are in place within the EU.

Under EU Directive 2001/18/EC there is a requirement on Member States to draw up their own national strategies for the coexistence of authorised GM crops alongside non GM crops, in accordance with the guidelines laid down in Commission Recommendation 2003/556/EC. Minister Coughlan stressed that coexistence was not about possible environmental or health risks associated with GMOs.“Coexistence is about creating conditions during cultivation, harvest, transport and storage of crops which make it possible for conventional and organic growers to keep the adventitious presence of GMOs in their crops below the labelling thresholds established in Community law while ensuring that farmers who want to grow authorised GM crops can do so” said the Minister.

The Minister said that she was now inviting further observations on the Report and its Recommendations from all interested parties. “I will take these observations into account before putting in place coexistence arrangements for Ireland, as is required under the EU legislation” said Minister Coughlan.

The Report can be accessed on the Department's website at http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/gm_coexistence and submissions and observations should be sent in hard copy format to Mr John Downey, Crop Production and Safety Division, Department of Agriculture and Food, Maynooth, Co. Kildare or by email to john.downey@agriculture.gov.ie on or before 31 January 2006.

Coexistence of GM and non-GM crops in Ireland
A report from the Irish Department of Agriculture and Food

FOREWORD

In the period 1998 – 2003 the European Union developed enhanced assessment procedures to examine each genetically modified (GM) food, feed and crop prior to it being placed on the market. The procedures were designed to address food safety and environmental concerns, taking a precautionary, science based, case-by-case approach to regulatory approval. Notwithstanding what these comprehensive arrangements put in place, a number of Member States raised an issue, which they felt was at the heart of the debate over the production of GM crops i.e. the coexistence of GM crops with conventionally and organically produced crops. 

The European Union responded to Member States concerns on coexistence by initiating a policy discussion on the subject, resulting in a ‘Roundtable’ examination of the issues by experts in Brussels in April 2003. Subsequently, the European Commission prepared a set of guideline principles to enable Member States to develop their own coexistence measures relevant to their particular circumstances.

In August 2003, the Department of Agriculture and Food established a Working Group to examine the issues relating to the growing of GM crops in Ireland and to develop proposals for a national strategy and best practices for the coexistence of GM crops with non-GM crops. In line with strategies being adopted by other Member States, it was considered prudent to have such a strategy in place should the Irish farming community decide to cultivate GM crops approved for planting within the EU. Coexistence guidelines/regulations are being prepared by all EU Member States, based largely on Commission Recommendation 2003/556/EC, of the 23 July 2003. This document has been most useful to the Working Group in compiling its Report.

In order to ensure that the coexistence measures recommended for Ireland were arrived at in a transparent manner and were balanced equitably between the interests of all stakeholders, the Working Group endeavoured to engage with the widest possible constituency. Submissions were invited from a broad spectrum of stakeholders including farming organisations, Teagasc, (The Agricultural & Food Development Authority) environmental groups, organic bodies, the seed trade, the animal feed industry, the biotech industry and consumers. December 31^st 2004 was the last date for receipt of submissions. All submissions received were considered by the Working Group in arriving at its proposals.

In developing its recommendations the Working Group considered all the relevant issues including: overall government policy on genetically modified organisms; the principles set down in Commission Recommendation 2003/556/EC; scientific issues; current developments in GM crop technology; Irish crop production systems and farm infrastructure; and liability issues. Discussions were also held with colleagues from Northern Ireland in order to harmonise, as far as possible, coexistence measures in both jurisdictions.

It is the view of the Working Group that the recommendations contained herein, if fully implemented, would ensure the coexistence of the GM and non-GM crops discussed in this Report and minimise the risk of economic loss and the need for stakeholders to seek redress for any such loss through legal means.

Access to full report:
http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/index.jsp?file=publicat/publications2005/gm_coexistence/index.xml