media advisory
friends of the earth international
european environmental bureau ecoforum
e.u.'s double standards on g.m.o.s in
central asia
BRUSSELS (Belgium), ALMATY (Kazakhastan),
May 24, 2005 - More than 30 Civil Society
organizations from Eastern Europe, Caucasus
and Central Asia (EECCA) have today strongly
condemned the European Union's (EU) attempts
to prevent the public in non-EU countries
from opposing the introduction of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). This denouncement
is taking place during the second Meeting of
the Parties to a United Nations Treaty on
environmental rights, called the Aarhus
Convention, in Almaty, (Kazakhastan), in the
heart of Central Asia.
"The behavior of the European Union is
outrageous, and is not taking seriously the
concerns and positions of non-EU citizens.
While the EU has one of the strongest
biosafety frameworks for GMOs in the world,
it is promoting weak GMO laws abroad. This is
a clear unfair double standard", said Serhiy
Vykhryst, Ukrainian Legal Expert from the
environmental coalition Ecoforum.
More than four years have passed since
discussions took place in Geneva on a
possible amendment to the Aarhus Convention
to guarantee the citizens from the EECCA
region are fully involved in any decisions
related to GMOs. Despite the constant calls
from civil society and governments from the
EECCA region for a comprehensive amendment
that would grant such rights, the European
Union has adamantly opposed it. The biotech
industry is also strongly opposed to any
amendment to the Convention.
"Our region is the center of origin of
many crops, and the introduction of GMOs puts
at risk our genetic resources. Taking into
account the significant uncertainty over the
risk of GMOs, we need to act with great
caution. No GMOs must be introduced here
without full public participation and
scrutiny by all relevant stakeholders", said
Mihail Matveyenko, of Global and Local
Information Partnership of Kyrgystan
The Aarhus Convention is an international
treaty on access to information, public
participation and access to justice in
environmental decision-making. The treaty has
been ratified by 34 countries from Europe,
Caucasus and Central Asia, as well as the
European Community.
background information:
Official Site 2nd Meeting of the Parties:
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/mop2.html
UNECE Aarhus Convention
GMO webpage:
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/gmo.htm
Position of the Biotechnology Industry
Organization on GMOs in Aarhus:
http://www.unece.org/env/pp/gmo/lbbio.pdf
Statement
from the Civil Society from
Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia
for more information:
Serhy Vykhryst, Ecoforum (Russian,
English): tel. +(7300) 6654139
Mihail Matveyenko, of Global and Local
Information Partnership, Kyrgystan (Russian):
tel. +(7300) 6654139
Juan Lopez, Friends of the Earth
International (English, Spanish, French):
tel. +(7300) 6654139
John Hontelez, European Environmental Bureau
(English, Dutch, German, French): +(32)
486512127
Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth Europe
(English): + (49) 1609 490 1163
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