NEWS RELEASE
From the office of the Green MEPs
January 28, 2004

GM CORN APPROVAL 'A DISASTER FOR DEMOCRACY' - MEP

GREEN MEP Caroline Lucas has branded the European Commission 
'out of touch' and 'misguided' after it authorised the sale 
of GM corn today, paving the way for an end to the EU's de 
facto moratorium on new GM produce. A final decision will 
now be taken by the Council of Ministers.

"Today's decision is a disaster for democracy and flies in 
the face of the clearly expressed wishes of the majority of 
UK consumers - it will also lead to lengthy and costly court 
battles over liability for the environmental and health 
impacts of the decision," she said.

Her comments came as Commission chief Romano Prodi claimed 
the EU already had a 'clear, transparent and stringent system' 
for the regulation of GM food, feed and plants.

Dr Lucas, South-East England MEP and member of the parliament's 
environment committee, said his claims were simply untrue as 
there had been no agreement on legislation on the issues of 
co-existence, GM-free regions and civil liability in cases of 
environmental or health damage caused by GMOs.

She said: "The Commission's GM strategy is hopelessly misguided 
and out of touch. Claims that GMOs pose no threat either to humans 
or the environment are absolutely false. Studies conducted both 
in the UK and US have demonstrated that GMOs threaten biodiversity 
as well as releasing potentially harmful contaminants into the 
environment.

"There is no public demand for GM food in Europe. Where Member 
States have carried out public consultation the results have been 
overwhelmingly anti-GM. This decision was entirely guided by 
business, and goes to show just how out of touch the Commission 
is with the public.

"Once again, the fate of the GM moratorium rests in the hands of 
Environment ministers. They must reject this bid, as they rejected 
the last attempt to introduce new GMOs to the EU."

ENDS

For more information please contact Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280, 
07973 823358 
or 
press@greenmeps.org.uk 

www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk