Rome, 12th October 2007

EURO COOP is the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives, whose members are the national organisations of consumer cooperatives in 17 European countries. Created in 1957, EURO COOP today represents over 3,200 local and regional cooperatives, the members of which amount to more than 22 million consumers across Europe.

On the occasion of the Conference: "GMOs: orientations of the European cooperative movement", the European Community of Consumer Cooperatives (Euro Coop) strongly restates its position on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

Euro Coop first stated its position on this issue in 1997, when Euro Coop urged European Institutions to take consumer concerns about GMOs into consideration. At that time, Euro Coop called for the respect of some principles which are still at the core of its position today, i.e. the precautionary principle and the right for consumers to make an informed choice.

European consumer cooperatives are not against research into GMOs. On the contrary they call for more research, based on increased public funding. It is indeed necessary to investigate the mid and long-term effects that the use of GMOs could have on human health and the environment, as well as their economic and social impacts.

In order to ensure that consumers have an effective right to choose between GM and non-GM food, it is necessary to guarantee the segregation of GM sources. It is therefore essential to adopt all necessary measures in order to avoid contamination. Moreover the costs to guarantee protection of non-GM sources from contamination should be borne by those who produce GM products.

On 12th June 2007, the European Agriculture Council voted on a new Regulation for organic food and farming, thereby authorizing the adventitious presence of GMOs in organics up to a 0,9% threshold. Euro Coop was opposed to this decision and stated that this vote could undermine consumer confidence in organic production.

Many European regions ask for the possibility to decide on GMOs. Euro Coop asks the European institutions that GM cultivation can be excluded in areas where it is not possible to guarantee the segregation between GM and non-GM crops.

Euro Coop believes that consumers concerns and needs should always be at the heart of European decision making. It stresses again the need for independent research, which would take into consideration mid and long-term risks. Caution and sound science represent the two key principles that should guide the EU on this issue.

For more information please contact:
Anna Carbonaro, ANCC/Coop Italy Assistant
E-mail: Acarbonaro@eurocoop.coop
Tel.: +32-2-285-00-77 - Fax.: +32-2-231-07-57

Rosita Zilli - Policy Adviser E-mail: rzilliateurocoop.coop
Tel.: +32-2-285-00-72 - Fax.: +32-2-231-07-57