The Hague, The Netherlands
December 15, 2009

The benefits and risks of the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in agriculture and food production, in particular the cultivation of genetically modified crops, are continually discussed in the EU. This was reiterated by the adoption of Council Conclusions in the EU Environment Council in December 2008. These called for a further improvement of the implementation of the EU legal framework, while acknowledging the need for the continuing timely processing of applications for the placing on the market of GMOs and fulfilment of relevant international obligations. An efficiently functioning framework is required to allow the EU to continue to make proper assessments of future GMO applications, in particular when GMOs could contribute to more sustainable agriculture or better quality food production.

The international conference on GMOs in European Agriculture and Food Production was held at the initiative of Ms. Gerda Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of The Netherlands, and Ms. Jacqueline Cramer, Minister of the Environment and Spatial Planning of The Netherlands.

The conference sought to take an inventory of stakeholder opinion on the present EU policy framework in the EU and to explore possible ways forward. Participants were invited to discuss a proposal to give EU Member States the authority to make a final decision on the cultivation of GMOs on their territory. This proposal had been put forward by the government of The Netherlands in March 2009 in the EU Agriculture and Environment Councils. A second element of the conference was the exchange of information and the building of a knowledge base on the socio-economic aspects of the use of GMOs in European agriculture and food production.

The conference took place on 25 and 26 November 2009 in The Hague, The Netherlands and was attended by more than 250 participants from Europe and beyond. These included both representatives of the EU Member States and the European Commission as well as farmers, consumers, agri-business and trade partners, non-governmental organizations and representatives from the biotech industry and the scientific community.

The conference offered a two-day programme with speakers representing the different stakeholders from around the world. The conference programme also presented an extensive opportunity for participants to make an active contribution. Working groups, side events and poster presentations provided participants with a platform to present their views and experiences. Furthermore, the conference programme contained a ministerial roundtable meeting that was attended by EU ministers of agriculture and environment and their delegates. Also,  representatives of DG Agriculture and Environment of the European Commission took part in the meeting. The conference was chaired by Ms. Gerda Verburg, Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality of The Netherlands.

The outcomes of this conference will be presented at both the Agriculture and Environment Councils (December 2009). It will also be included in the contribution of The Netherlands (January 2010) to a European Commission report on the socioeconomic benefits and risks, as well as the agronomic sustainability of commercial GMO applications.

This document is a chair’s report on the conference proceeding and the most relevant discussions and outcomes. The report includes a summary of the proceedings of the conference (section 2), including the outcomes of the working groups (section 2.3) and the main findings of the event’s ministerial roundtable (section 3).

The presentations given during the conference are available at www.minlnv.nl/gmoconference2009.

Full report: http://www.seedquest.com/News/pdf/2009/conferencereport.pdf

Website: http://www.minlnv.nl

Published: December 15, 2009