London (October 30th, 2007) – The GM scene in the European Union has been lively over the summer. We have already reported on the pro-agricultural speech made by the Trade Commissioner (http://www.cropgen.org/article_126.html) as well as the possible dire consequences for the European livestock industry of the inordinately long period taken by the EU bureaucratic and political machines to approve new GM strains which the rest of the world adopts with alacrity (http://www.cropgen.org/article_135.html)

Moving from east to west:

From Russia there have over the months been disturbing reports of various anti-GM measures proposed or taken so it was good to hear that the voice of reason is by no means silenced in that country (ref 1.). At a press conference early in October, several respected scientists have spoke up in favour: they included the director of Research Institute for Nutrition, the dean of Moscow State University’s biology faculty, the head of virology department of Moscow State University and the director of the Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology.

The scientists said Russian population had been intimidated by tales about transgenic soya beans thus forcing domestic producers to abandon adding soya protein to their products. The scirntists felt that serious and reasoned facts about possible adverse effects of transgenic soya are still lacking but we were not told just what it is they considered to be missing.

Things have also been moving along in Romania. Until the end of 2006 many farmers there had happily been growing herbicide-tolerant soya to help them overcome intractable weed problems. The accession of Romania to the EU on January 1st, 2007 made that illegal because the crop had not been approved for cultivation in the EU and the Romanian government had neglected – or chosen not – to ask for derogation. It is not been clear what has happened this year: have farmers grown GM soya in spite of the ban or has such production been halted?

However, the Romanian Agriculture Minster has come out strongly in support of growing GM soy, stating that his ministry will support the development of GM soy within the European Union (ref. 2). However, as is often the case with environment ministries, the Environment Ministry took a different view. remaining cautious about the matter and announcing that it would not open any time soon a campaign to support or fight GMs. Now the Romanian senate has added its support, approving almost unanimously a governmental Emergency Ordinance allowing the growth of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as food (ref. 3).

But all is not light in Romania: just a few days ago, there was a report that one of the pressure groups had forced a food retailer to withdraw from their shelves “genetically modified soy bread”, claiming that the product contained more than 0.9% GM material and should therefore have been labelled accordingly (ref. 4). There appears to be some muddle about what actually had been going on.

The French president caused a stir by announcing that he would suspend the planting of genetically modified (GMO) pest-resistant crops until the results of an appraisal of the issue later this year or early in 2008; no GMO crops would be planted in France until the government had received the results of an evaluation (ref 5). A ban on GMO maize growing for the coming months would not affect maize production in France because sowings do not take place until spring. President Sarkozy also stressed that his move did not mean a halt to GMO research and that the ban “does not mean -- I want to be clear on this -- that we must condemn all GMOs, notably future GMOs…" So for the moment it is not altogether clear just what the ban does or might mean.

That is bound to cause ructions: the European Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said a full ban on GMO crops would clearly go against the rules and that France would lose in court if it implemented such a ban.

Even before the President’s statement, French farmers were clear in what they thought: “France risks losing its seat among top food producers if it rejects genetically modified (GMO) crops altogether in an upcoming law on biotech organisms”. Philippe Pinta, president of Orama (which represents French grain and oilseed growers) said that what his members feared was that rejection of GMOs by France would leave them behind, dependent on other countries’ technology. "If we discourage research we doom our future," he said (ref. 6)

Spain continues to forge ahead as the leader of European GM cultivation. As reported by ANOVE (the Spanish Breeders Association), the total area planted with GM-maize in 2007 was 75,148 hectares compared with 53,667 hectares in 2006, an increase of no les than 40% (ref. 7). How soon will we hear from the professional objectors that GM maize is useless and the farmers don’t want it?

In the far west, opinion in Ireland is waking up to the fact that, for all the protestations of “GM-free Ireland”, there is no alternative to GM-animal feed. Professor James Burke, director of the Oak Park Research Centre for arable crop research commented that „hose who say Ireland should feed its pigs and poultry on GM- free feed are embracing an ‘anti-competitive system which is doomed to failure’". Breeders who fed their pigs and poultry on GM-free diets were unable to recover the higher costs from the market, and it was, therefore, anti-competitive and had very serious implications for the pig and poultry sector (ref. 8). The theme was taken up again a few weeks later with the view that lifting restrictions on imports of genetically modified crops is now seen as the EU’s only solution to cool down its overheating grain markets (ref. 9)

Moving on to the heart of the EU in Brussels, the European Commission has adopted Decisions authorising three GM-maize varieties (1507xNK603; NK603 x MON810; and 59122 Herculex RW) for feed and food use and for import and processing. In addition, a GM-sugar beet (H7-1) for use as food and feed produced from it, was also authorised (ref. 10). All of the GMOs received positive safety assessments from EFSA and underwent the full authorisation procedure set out under EU legislation. As Member States failed to return a qualified majority decision for or against these authorisations in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, and then in the Council, the dossiers were sent back to the Commission for decision. The authorisations are valid for 10 years, and any products produced from these GMOs will be subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules.

And finally to the disclosure by EuropaBio that biotech crop cultivation in Europe in 2007 totals 110,077 hectares in seven EU Member States representing a 77% increase over last year. The figures show that the cultivated acreage in biotech crops has tripled in France and more than doubled in the Czech Republic and Germany. Spain, which is the largest cultivator of biotech crops saw increases of more than 40% and this after 10 years of cultivation of the same product (ref. 11). The news was widely reported, particularly by the BBC (ref. 12).

Sources:

1. Russian scientists stand for GMO. Russia Info Centre (16.10.07) (http://www.agbios.com/main.php?action=ShowNewsItem&id=8910)

2. Agriculture minister in favor of GM soy. Hot News (10.5.07) (http://english.hotnews.ro/Agriculture-Minister-in-favor-of-GM-soy-articol_44938.htm)

3. Senate approves GMO growth. Not News (25.10.07) (http://english.hotnews.ro/Senate-approves-GMO-growth-articol_46255.htm)

4. Greenpeace forces Carrefour to withdraw genetically modified soy bread in Romania. Hot News (23.10.07) (http://english.hotnews.ro/Greenpeace-forces-Carrefour-to-withdraw-genetically-modified-soy-bread-in-Romania-articol_46235.htm)

5. Sybille de La Hamaide. France suspends planting of GMO crops. Reuters (25.10.07) (http://africa.reuters.com/commodities/news/usnL25834362.html?rpc=401&)

6. Sybille de La Hamaide. French farmers say GMO ban harmful. Reuters (3.10.07) (http://www.reuters.com/article/environmentNews/idUSL0314440620071003?feedType=RSS&feedName=environmentNews)

7. Superficie en hectareas de variedades maiz G.M. que se encuentran incluidas en el registro de variedades comerciales. ANOVE (the Spanish Breeders Association) (Oct. 2007)
(http://www.mapa.es/agricultura/pags/semillas/estadisticas/serie_maizgm98_06.pdf)

8. Seán MacConnell. GM-free diets for pigs and poultry 'unrealistic'. Irish Times (31.8.07) (http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ireland/2007/0831/1188336464605.html)

9. Stephen Cadogan. GM grains may be only option for EU as prices rise. Irish Examiner (13.09.07) (http://www.agbios.com/main.php?action=ShowNewsItem&id=8810)

10. Commission authorises GM maize and GM sugar beet. Europa (24.10.07) (http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEX/07/1024)

11. Latest figures on the number of hectares planted with GM crops in Europe released. EuropaBio (29.10.07) (http://www.europabio.org/ne_GMOfigureslaunch.htm)

12. Tom Heap. Massive rise in Europe GM crops. BBC News (29.10.07) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7066878.stm)

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