Berlin. Christel Happach-Kazan, agricultural expert of the FDP Bundestag faction, explains after an agreed of the design of a genetic engineering law in the Federal Cabinet:

The finalising today of a genetic engineering bill in the cabinet is a "black day" for biotechnology in Germany. Despite an alleged assurance by the Federal Chancellor Merkel, the CDU and CSU have broken a central promise. Over and over again there were promises of a more friendly genetic engineering law.

The outcome was exactly the opposite; above all, because the liability obligations remain unchanged and the legal uncertainties for the farmers stay as they were. That is totally unacceptable. The continuation of a public register (of GM crop plantings) is an invitation to militant opponents to destroy trial sites. If that, however were not enough, the definition of the minimum separation distance for the cultivation of Bt-corn is abused by requiring that the cultivation of the insect-resistant, genetically improved maize is maximally curtailed. The fight against corn-borers, which last year caused damage running as high as 11 million Euros, is made more difficult. The proper criticism of the proposed bill from research and science as well as from agriculture and the food industry was in no sense acknowledged. Künast (former consumer affairs minister) rules again in Seehofer’s office.

That is totally different from a reliable policy on which farmers, consumers, plant breeders and industry can reckon. Nobody can be content with this genetic engineering law. The conflicting strains within the Federal Government put off until some unspecified time the necessary change of positions in order to improve the competitive position of German firms and the state of research in Germany.

Source:

Schwarter Tag für Biotechnologie in Deutschland. FDP im Deutschen Bundestag (8.8.07) (http://www.fdp-fraktion.de/webcom/show_websiteprog.php/_c-649/_lkm-84/_nr-8743/kids-a%3A2%3A%7Bi%3A694%3Bi%3A5781%3Bi%3A695%3Bs%3A4%3A"5905"%3B%7D/i.html)

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