 |
Brussels, 13 May 1998
Euro Coop's concerns about the consumer's right to choose between GM and non-GM food products
Euro Coop would like to express its concern about plans by US farmers to plant approximately 25% of their crops with genetically modified seeds, in particular given that as regards soya beans alone about 40 % of the estimated 71 million acres to be planted will use genetically-altered strains.
As the EU imports significant amounts of raw materials from the US, Euro Coop fears that most of the pre-packaged foodstuffs sold on the European market will contain ingredients derived from GM raw materials without any indication of such to consumers. Therefore, Euro Coop wishes to address the following issues:
- preserve non-GM supply for crops grown in Europe: the supply of GM-free raw materials from the US is posing more and more problems, as GM crops and non-GM crops are not completely segregated at source. This undesirable situation deprives European consumers of their right to choose between GM and non-GM products. Euro Coop finds this non-segregation unacceptable, and warns that it must not be repeated in Europe. Therefore, when GM crops are cultivated in Europe, we consider that they must be segregated, and we call on the European authorities to play an active role to assist in the establishment of the necessary facilities in this respect.
- consumer choice: the Commission proposal for the labelling of genetically modified soya beans and maize requires that products in which protein or DNA from modified organisms can be detected must be labelled. This provision will obstruct the development of non-GM supply and consequently the consumer's right to choose between GM and non-GM foodstuffs. As we have previously mentioned it is not possible to detect precisely the presence of GM material in the final product, therefore the application of thresholds to distinguish between GM and non-GM products should inevitably lead to the requirement to trace back the raw materials' ingredients.
- the need to establish thresholds for non-GM supply: Euro Coop considers that consumers who do not want to eat GM products should be given a "non-GM" alternative, with appropriate labelling. In response to this right to choose, we believe it will be necessary to set a threshold for the presence of genetic material in non-GM supplies since a low level of adventitious contamination is often unavoidable. Such thresholds must be practical and acceptable.
- monitoring the long term effects: Euro Coop would like to emphasise the importance of monitoring the long-term effects of introducing GM varieties on human health and on the environment. Indeed we note that scientific methodologies to carry out comprehensive environmental risk assessments are not yet available, and that there are still some uncertainties about the real consequences on the environment and human health.
- Detection methods for GMOs: Finally, Euro Coop would like to point out that those companies which develop and market GM varieties should be obliged to provide the relevant competent bodies with a method for detecting the products in question.
(For background information : Euro Coop position papers on GM soya beans and GM maize respectively dated 16/10/96 and 6/02/97, and Euro Coop reaction to the Commission's proposal of 3 December 1997 on the labelling of food made from genetically modified soya beans and maize dated 22/12/97).
|
|
