[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
[SANET-MG] BASF says countries that refuse GM crops should be kicked out of EU
The article below shows the high handed threatening of the BASF
chemical company over the refusal to test GM potatoes in Ireland. BASF
refused to provide data from the Swedish tests and data on any animal
feeding studies to the Irish environment reviewers.Their motto for EU
seems to be "*Arbiet Macht Frei*:" taken from the years BASF was part of
IG Farben. Bullying seems to be the way to get the people to use GM
food. People should not be slopped like hogs.
GM-free victory as trials are scrapped Jun 6 2006
Steve Dube, Western Mail
THE world's largest chemicals company BASF has scrapped controversial
plans to conduct trials of genetically modified potatoes in Ireland.
BASF said the decision was taken because of the conditions imposed in
the provisional consent given by the Environmental Protection Agency in
Ireland last month.
These included requiring the company to reduce the risk of contaminating
neighbouring farmland and wildlife, to pay the costs of an independent
monitoring of health and environmental impacts and to plant the 450,000
potato plants involved in May.
BASF complained that such conditions had not been imposed for similar
experiments in Sweden and the company's chief executive Hans Kast
responded with an extraordinary interview saying that countries that did
not want GM food "should not be in the EU".
The Irish Government's decision to approve BASF's request for a
five-year trial on land in County Meath provoked opposition from more
than 100 farm and food industry groups and MPs from all the parties, two
motions passed unanimously by Meath County Council, and the threat of
further legal action on planning and constitutional grounds.
GM-free victory as trials are scrappedJun 6 2006
Steve Dube, Western Mail
THE world's largest chemicals company BASF has scrapped controversial
plans to conduct trials of genetically modified potatoes in Ireland.
BASF said the decision was taken because of the conditions imposed in
the provisional consent given by the Environmental Protection Agency in
Ireland last month.
These included requiring the company to reduce the risk of contaminating
neighbouring farmland and wildlife, to pay the costs of an independent
monitoring of health and environmental impacts and to plant the 450,000
potato plants involved in May.
BASF complained that such conditions had not been imposed for similar
experiments in Sweden and the company's chief executive Hans Kast
responded with an extraordinary interview saying that countries that did
not want GM food "should not be in the EU".
The Irish Government's decision to approve BASF's request for a
five-year trial on land in County Meath provoked opposition from more
than 100 farm and food industry groups and MPs from all the parties, two
motions passed unanimously by Meath County Council, and the threat of
further legal action on planning and constitutional grounds.
A poll by the Irish Times showed that 72% of respondents want Ireland
kept GM-free.
Hans Kast, who chairs Europa- Bio, the umbrella group for the
biotechnology industry in Europe, said they could not accept a situation
where countries refused to take safe products.
"They should get out of the EU and say we want to be on our own," he said.
Asked about the campaign in Wales, he said he had not heard that the
people of Wales did not want GM food.
"Would Wales be allowed to say we don't want to have cars?" he asked.
Dr Brian John of the GM Free Wales campaign group said Dr Kast was
talking nonsense.
"The logic is so convoluted and contorted I don't know what he is trying
to say," said Dr John.
"It's just garbled rubbish about the EU, but probably he's a bit miffed
that they have been nasty to him in Ireland."
GM-free Ireland Network spokesperson Michael O'Callaghan said
cancellation of the potato trials was a victory for European farmers who
"refuse to surrender ownership of their seeds and crops".
He said the World Trade Organisation's Trade-Related Intellectual
Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement enables corporate owners of GM crop
patents to claim ownership of contaminated farmers' produce.
Canadian farmer Percy Schmeiser faced a million-dollar
patent-infringement lawsuit from Monsanto after his crops became
contaminated with its GM rapeseed in 1996.
The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that he no longer owned his seeds and
crops because they contained the patented GM genes.
Last month Mr Schmeiser filed a complaint against the government of
Canada with the United Nations Commission on Human Rights alleging
violation of consumers' and farmers' rights and attempts to force GM
terminator seeds - modified to be sterile and prevent farmers from
saving and replanting seeds - on the rest of the world.
Mr O'Callaghan said the next step was for the Irish Government to join
the European campaign for EC legislation that recognises the right of
member states and regions to prohibit the release of GM seeds, crops,
trees, fish and livestock.
"The time has come for the Irish Government and EC to stop surrendering
our sovereignty and food security to the WTO," he said.
A total of 172 EU regions and provinces have now declared themselves GM
Free zones, or - like Wales - passed policies to restrict GM crops.
********************************************************
To unsubscribe from SANET-MG:
1- Visit http://lists.sare.org/archives/sanet-mg.html to unsubscribe or;
2- Send a message to <listserv@sare.org> from the address subscribed to the list. Type "unsubscribe sanet-mg" in the body of the message.
Visit the SANET-MG archives at: http://lists.sare.org/archives/sanet-mg.html.
Questions? Visit http://www.sare.org/about/sanetFAQ.htm.
For more information on grants and other resources available through the SARE program, please visit http://www.sare.org.