GMOs and food security: An open letter to the European Commission [from José Bové, Corinne Lepage and 16 other MEPs]
 http://www.huffingtonpost.fr/jose-bove/ogm-et-securite-alimentaire-lettre-ouverte-a-la-commission-europeenne_b_2135000.html
Translation into English by GMWatch

GMOs and food security: yes to greater transparency and independence!

Brussels, 15 November 2012

The study by the biologist Gilles-Eric Seralini (University of Caen), conducted over two years on rats fed diets containing genetically modified maize (NK603 variety), with and without the Roundup herbicide, as well as with Roundup alone, the results of which were published on September 19 in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology, has reignited the debate about the possible risks associated with the use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) and the reliability of the 90-day toxicology studies previously used to justify their approval.

Aware of the health concerns that GMOs raise among Europeans, we MEPs ask for:

1.Transparency in the risk assessment studies on health and the environment that have led to the approval of pesticides and cultivation and/or import of GMOs in the European Union. We require the release of the raw data from these studies to the public online in a statistically analyzable form

2.Independent studies encouraging open debate into the effects over the long-term (two years and more) of the use of GMOs, with or without pesticides

3.The EFSA and the European Commission to review the guidelines on the assessment of GMOs including the potential, direct or indirect, impacts of GMOs in the long term on the environment and on health in accordance with the requirements of Directive 2001/18/CE on the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment, which is unfortunately not respected, as required by the conclusions of the Council of Ministers of the Environment, 4 December 2008

4.The creation of a fund to finance a range of independent studies to be managed by the European Union but underwritten by industry (because it is not for taxpayers to fund such studies)

5.The European Commission to bring forward a legal framework on the quality and integrity of the appraisal process [for GMOs] as well as for the prevention of conflicts of interest, particularly with regard to European agencies

First signatories:
Michèle Rivasi (Greens / EFA)
José Bové(Greens / EFA),
Corinne Lepage(ALDE)
Sophie Auconie(PPE)

With the support of:
Daniel Cohn-Bendit(Greens / EFA), Anne Delvaux (PPE), Jill Evans (Verts / ALE), Catherine Grèze(Greens / EFA), Satu Hassi(Greens / EFA), Martin Häusling (Greens / EFA), Yannick Jadot (Greens / EFA), EvaJoly (Greens / EFA), Ana Miranda (Greens / EFA), Antonyia Parvanova (ALDE), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), Richard Seeber (PPE), Raül Romeva i Rueda(Verts / ALE), Orestes Rossi (EFD).