August 6, 2003

In light of recent newsworthy developments, the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology has updated its brief on the trade dispute between the U.S. and the EU over agricultural biotechnology. Events prompting this update include:

- In June 2003, the U.S. initiated an action with the World Trade Organization, challenging the EU's de facto moratorium on the approval of genetically modified (GM) crops.

- In July 2003, the EU adopted legislation for a new approval process for GM crops that included more stringent provisions requiring all foods and animal feed with ingredients derived from GM crops to be labeled and tracked through the food chain.

These and other developments are now discussed in a revised and expanded version of U.S. vs. EU: An Examination of the Trade Issues Surrounding Genetically Modified Food, a brief originally published by the Pew Initiative in June 2002.

The new issue brief provides:

- A summary of the trade dispute between the U.S. and the EU regarding GM food.

- A timeline of critical events, and discussion of factors that have influenced EU consumer wariness of GM crops and food products.

- Views on the trade dispute from EU and U.S. officials.

- Estimates of the impact that the EU de facto moratorium on GM crop approvals has had on U.S. trade and discussion of the potential further impact of the new EU rules on labeling and traceability.

The full issue brief is available at http://pewagbiotech.org/resources/issuebriefs/europe.pdf