 |
Brussels, 3 july 2002
- Parliament ensures consumer right to choose over GM food -
Strasbourg , 3 July 2002- EURO COOP, the European association of consumer cooperatives, today welcomed the European Parliament vote on traceability and labelling of GMOs, GM feed and food.
Members of the European Parliament supported the European Commission proposals and the reports adopted by the EP Environment Committee, which aim at guaranteeing consumer right to choose over GM food through a labelling system based on full traceability and segregation.
The vote to abandon the existing EU labelling scheme based on detectability of DNA in the final product came after repeated warnings about the limits of such a system. Currently, highly processed food, such as maize oil, cannot be labelled as a GM product even if it has been produced from GM maize. This clearly does not guarantee consumer choice.
"MEPs have made the right decision. They have correctly understood that the only way to have honest, clear GM labels is to trace GMOs from farm to fork", said Aude L'hirondel, Euro Coop Food Policy Officer. Traceability has been used for many years by EURO COOP members, the consumer co-operatives, to ensure that the products they sell are not genetically modified - and without any increase in food prices. "We disagree with those theories arguing that traceability is not feasible and is too costly, and that it should therefore be limited to products where DNA is detectable", added Aude L'hirondel.
EURO COOP also welcomed the EP rejection of the European Commission proposals for a 1% tolerance level for non-authorised GMOs. Indeed Euro Coop found the Commission proposals self-contradicting: it would not be possible on the one hand to strengthen the authorisation process for GMOs, while on the other hand accept that non-authorised GMOs are present in foodstuffs without informing consumers.
Today's EP vote is clearly a victory for European consumers. EURO COOP is confident that the Council will confirm the Commission and EP's promotion and defence of the basic consumer rights to eat safe food and to make informed choices.
For further information, contact:
Aude L'hirondel, Food Policy Officer
Tel.: +32.(0)2.285.00.70 - Fax: +32.(0)2.231.07.57 - E-mail: Info@eurocoop.org
|
|
|
