Brussels, 7th December 2007

The European Commission will not accede to the request of one million EU citizens who had signed Greenpeace's petition calling for the labelling of products such as eggs, meat and milk produced from animals fed with GM feed (See press-releases).

It has indeed decided to maintain the current EU labelling regime for GM food and feed, on the grounds of EFSA's scientific opinion on the incorporation of transgenes into animal tissues or products when fed with GMOs.

While Euro Coop acknowledges that EU policies should be science-based, it regrets that the Commission seems to have looked exclusively at the science without taking into account other legitimate factors that should underlie risk-management decisions.

Euro Coop reminds that besides health concerns, there are many ethical reasons for not wanting to consume GMOs or GM-derived food. European consumers deserve the right to know and should always have the right to choose in any case.

Against this background, consumer cooperatives across Europe are committed to offering consumers that freedom of choice. They are striving to adapt their food supply so that it reflects the concerns, values and convictions of their consumer-members. Despite the cost and complexity involved, some cooperatives have totally eliminated GMOs from their own brand products, instructing suppliers to use certified GM-free feed and providing clear labels as a result.

Euro Coop therefore encourages voluntary GM-free labelling as a valuable tool to:

• Inform, protect consumers and enable them to make safe and ethical choices ;
• Help economic operators differentiate their non-GM products on the market, and allow them to reap the rewards of efforts engaged in securing GM-free supply ;
• Ultimately to ensure the sustainability of a European farming model based on quality and biodiversity, which is currently under threat.

These objectives will only be achieved if the political and economic context in Europe allows it. Consequently Euro Coop calls on consumers, farmers and responsible businesses to join efforts and use their clout to make the non-GM alternative possible. It also asks EU institutions to put stronger political will and concrete efforts into securing a non-GM feed supply in Europe.

For more information please contact:
Laura Street, Food Policy Officer, Euro Coop
Tel: +32 (0)2 285 00 74
E-mail: lstreet@eurocoop.coop
Rosita Zilli, Policy Officer, Euro Coop
Tel: +32 (0)2 285 00 72
E-mail: rzilli@eurocoop.coop