15 November 2002

RISE AND FALL OF GM CROPS IN EUROPE

Thanks to Olaf Bayer at CorporateWatch for forwarding this item 

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A graphic representation of the success of anti-GM campaigning in Europe.

The following link is for a graph produced by the Robert Koch Institute web site available online at
http://www.rki.de/GENTEC/GENENG/GENTEC_E.HTM
(follow the link on the left hand side for 'Field releases in EU member states per year).

It shows the number of new applications for GM field trials in the EU per year from 1991-2003.  If things had gone well for the biotech industry the graph should show a steady increase in the number of new applications. Interestingly what it actually shows is the number of trials rising up until c1998 and then falling away sharply ever since. [see below]

This web site has a really good searchable database on all new applications for GM field trials in the EU.  It is the only resource of its type that I've come across. It appears to be accurate, certainly when briefly compared against the Defra info for the UK, although not quite as detailed (not much information on the type of modification).  As far as I can work out the Robert Koch Institute seem to be the German equivalent to Defra/Acre (ie the authority from whom permission has to be sought in order to release GMOs).
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http://www.rki.de/GENTEC/GENENG/EU_YEAR_IE.HTM
'Field releases in EU member states per year'

First year of release        number of applications
   1991                                2
   1992                                54
   1993                                98
   1994                                170
   1995                                228
   1996                                245
   1997                                250
   1998                                251
   1999                                248
   2000                                145
   2001                                70
   2002                                49
   2003                                7