1.UK: Call to action on GM animal feed
2.Europe: Bite Back: Help stop the Commission lifting national bans on GM under WTO pressure!!
-------
1.Call to action on GM animal feed
The Milk Monitor: 13 - 17 June 2005
Below is a link to information about an exciting week long extravaganza of street theatre and protests, outside Sainsbury's HQ, against GM animal feed. Please have a read and help out if you can:
* Join in with the actions in London between 13 and 17 June in London (for more details ring the Genetic Engineering Network on 01803 840098).
* Write to the supermarkets demanding they stop selling GM-fed animal products, details are at the end of this email
* Forward this to anyone else who might be interested
Here’s the link: http://www.milkmonitor.co.nr/
------
2. Bite Back: Help to stop the European Commission from lifting the national bans on genetically modified (GM) food and crops under WTO pressure!!
Dear all
We need your urgent help to stop the European Commission from lifting the national bans on genetically modified (GM) food and crops under WTO pressure!!
The European Commission has called for a vote at the next Environmental Council in Luxembourg on 24 June, asking member states to vote on proposals to end national bans on GM food and crops. As you will recall, the Commission tried this last year and we succeeded in blocking their proposals but we didn1t get quite enough votes to stop them altogether.
For EU countries to stop the Commission they must vote against their proposals with a so-called qualified majority. This is the weighted voting system used in Europe. Therefore it is very important that countries do not simply abstain but vote against the Commission. To see how your country voted last time see www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food.
**You can send a letter, fax or email to your government, asking them to vote AGAINST the European Commission proposals to end with the national bans at: www.foeeurope.org/ban_risky_gm_food/
**Close to end of the GMO trade dispute?
The US-led complaint at the WTO will be ruled next October/November after being delayed again a few months. However, following the WTO rules, it may be followed by an appeal phase. The final ruling on the case can be expected by the earliest beginning of 2006.
If the WTO does not rule in favour of the European Union, the WTO could significantly harm the right of governments to set up its own rules to protect people and environments against the risks from GMOs. As a consequence of the dispute, government’s around the world might be reluctant to put in place strict legislation to control the release of GMOs.
We have collected over 128 000 citizens1 objections to the WTO, demanding them not to undermine our right to eat GMO free food and to protect the rights of governments to choose GMO free farming. We will hand out a second round of citizens1 objection to the WTO in the autumn. More citizens1 objections are needed and you can help us to collect more signatures at: http://www.bite-back.org/support/collect_signatures.htm
Thanks a lot for your time!
Carmen Olmedo
Bite Back campaign