29 january 2000
biosafety protocol agreed
new international agreement for
genetically modified organisms
Friends of the Earth have welcomed new
international rules for genetically modified
organisms (GMOs) which have been agreed in
Montreal, Canada. The Cartagena Protocol on
Biosafety, which has taken six years to be
negotiated, will regulate the international
trade in genetically modified (GM) crops and
foods.
The new protocol:
-
clearly allows countries to follow the
precautionary principle.
-
permits countries to ban GM crops if
they have sufficient concerns over their
safety.
-
for the first time identifies GM foods
and crops as fundamentally different to
conventionally bred.
The Protocol has been accepted after
fierce objections from the so-called Miami
Group of countries (United Stated, Canada,
Australia, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay). The
six nations threatened the whole Protocol for
the past ten days.
Liana Stupples of Friends of the Earth
said:
"The world can breathe a sigh of relief as
we've avoided meltdown in Montreal. Against
the odds, we have a precautionary protocol
but real consumer choice on GM foods and
crops has been sacrificed along the way.
However the jury is a still out on whether in
practice protection of the environment is put
before free trade."
"For the past week, the United States and
its cronies have been holding the rest of
world to ransom to protect the vested
interests of a few companies. They have not
succeeded and we now have a Protocol to
regulate genetically modified crops and
foods."
CONTACT: Adrian Bebb in Montreal
Tel: +1 514 239 4276 OR +1 514 239 4253
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