Austria bans Monsanto's GM oilseed rape

Immediate release: Monday 23 January 2006

Friends of the Earth has today welcomed the decision by the Austrian Government to ban Monsanto's genetically modified (GM) oilseed rape. This brings the total number of European bans on GM foods or crops to twelve [1]. The decision by the current EU presidency follows November's referendum in Switzerland which put in place a five year moratorium on growing GM crops and comes ahead of the WTO GM dispute ruling, which will include whether countries are allowed to impose such bans. Friends of the Earth is calling on the UK Government to follow suit.

The Austrian decision to ban Monsanto's oilseed rape, GT73, is based on the risk of genetic contamination and the inadequate risk assessment carried out before the European Commission authorised it for import in August 2005. This authorisation came despite a majority of EU Environment Ministers blocking its approval in December 2004 [2] for environmental and health reasons.

Friends of the Earth wrote to the Government following the approval of GT73 oilseed rape, urging it to impose a national ban in the UK to protect health and the environment, but it refused.

Friends of the Earth's GM Campaigner, Clare Oxborrow said:

"The Austrian decision to ban this GM oilseed rape is a clear sign of the growing frustration with the EU's undemocratic decisions to approve GM food. Opposition to GM crops and food is growing - in the UK over eighteen million people live in GM free areas. It is time the UK Government accepted that there are genuine concerns surrounding this GM oilseed rape, and banned it too.

GMOs are now banned in seven European countries, while the number of EU regions banning GMOs is also growing: *172 Regions in the European Union and 4500 local authorities and other zones have now declared themselves GMO free [3] and are calling for the right of Regions to decide whether or not to grow GMOs. This includes 60 local authorities in the UK. *In June 2005, the EU Commission was defeated by Member States when it tried to force them to drop national GMO bans [4].

NOTES:

[1] GMO bans in the European Union:

Germany

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 31/03/2000) - Reason: effects on non-target insects + transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to humans and animals + insects could develop resistance to the Bt

France

Bayer's oilseed rape Topas 19/2 (banned 16/11/1998) - Reason: impact of genetic escape and spread of herbicide tolerance Bayer's oilseed rape MS1xRf1 (banned 16/11/1998) - Reason: impact of genetic escape and spread of herbicide tolerance

Austria

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 13/02/1997) - Reason: effects on non-target insects such as butterflies + transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to humans and animals Bayer's T25 maize (banned

28/4/2000) - Reason: protection of sensitive areas, lack of monitoring plan and concerns about the herbicide used Monsanto's MON810 maize

(banned 10/06/1999) - Reason: Effects on non-target insects

Hungary

Monsanto’s maize MON810 seeds (banned 20/01/2005)

Luxembourg

Syngenta's Bt176 maize (banned 07/02/1997) - Reason: Transfer of antibiotic resistance genes to humans and animals

Greece

Bayer's oilseed rape Topas 19/2 (banned 08/09/1998) - Reason: impact of genetic escape Monsanto’s maize MON810 seeds (Commission ruled to overturn ban earlier this month)

Poland
Monsanto's maize MON810 seeds

[2]
http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/european_commission_approv_28092005.html

Voting Results of Environment Council on 20/12/2004:
*For* : SK, SE, FR, PT, FI, NL. (78 votes)
*Against* : IT, GR, DK, PO, MT, BE, HU, LT, LV, CY, AT, EE et LU. (135 votes)
*Abstention* : IE, SI, ES, DE, CZ et UK. (108 votes)

[3] see http://www.gmofree-europe.org/ for further information