Official
statement of the Friends of the Earth. Montreuil - Brussels, May 14 2003
Ca is there, the government states-unien will deposit very soon a recourse in front of the
World Organization of Trade (OMC) against the European Union in connection with
genetically modified food. It is what announced, yesterday, Mrs. Veneman, Minister for
Agriculture and Mr. Zoellick, Minister Commercial of the United States.
The recourse of the United States is supported by Argentina and Canada, producers on a
large scale of OGM, and by Egypt which thus hopes to obtain soon an agreement of free
exchange with the United States. The United States also affirms to have the support of
country of Central America and the South and of producer countries like the Zealand news
and Australia. As usual the United States denounce the moratorium in fact of the European
Union because he is not " a scientist ", that he is " harmful for
agriculture and the Third World
". But the principal argument is that the current moratorium on the OGM is " an
illegal obstacle with the trade, according to rules' of OMC ". For the Friends of
the Earth, first network world ecologist, this operation is the last of a long series of
attempts carried out by the United States [ 1 ] to prevent other countries from making the
decisions necessary to protect their environment, the health of their citizens and their
social protection.
By depositing this recourse, the United States hopes well to make weigh the threat of
heavy sanctions by the World Organization of the Trade to make fold the European Union.
They thus hope to impose of force the OGM on the European markets, to the detriment of the
European citizens who do not want any. But especially, they intend to make an example and
to dissuade any other country from planet to take regulations on the OGM, which would go
against the economic interests of the firms of biotechnologies ! It is probable also that
the United States will try to prevent any effective labelling of food resulting from OGM.
Robert Zoellick, the representative states-Unien Commercial already, on several
occasions, threatened to carry the case of the moratorium on the OGM in front of the World
Organization of the Trade. The last time, it was last January but, according to certain
observers, the White House required of him to put the soft pedal at the moment when it
tried to secure the support of several European countries for its invasion of Iraq. The US
government was the object of an intense lobbying carried out by companies of
biotechnologies like Monsanto and by great agricultural special interest groups like the
National Association of the Corn Producers (National Corn Growers Association).
The procedures of the World Organization of the Trade are complex and opaque and were
regularly criticized by the ecologists - and other associations - for their tendency to
privilege the interests of industry. An example among others: the payments of the World
Organization of the trade do not want to intend to speak about the
principle of precaution.
For Christian Berdot, organizer of countryside OGM of the Friends of the Earth France:
" Obviously, this government, supported by some of
the richest lobbyists and most powerful of the political sphere of the United States, is
given to use the opaque, partial and undemocratic procedures of the World Organization of
the Trade. If they manage to make fold the European Union, plus nothing will not stop them
to draw aside any attempt by another state, to set minimal standards as regards
environment, of health or social protection.
Initially, the two parties have 60 days to find an area of agreement. We hope that the
Commission and the governments of the Member States will show courage and will be opposed
to these shocking devices of
intimidation. It is not in George Bush, at the bottom of the White House, to decide in our
place, of the fate of the OGM in Europe. The Friends of the Earth, in France and at the
European level, will reinforce their countryside on the OGM to oppose this revolting
attempt to prevent the European citizens from exerting a basic right: freedom to choose
their food and right to refuse the OGM! "
For any contact: Christian Berdot, Enamel: landes@amisdelaterre.org
. The British Friends of the Earth set up a site, in English, for the whole of the
European citizens, to allow them to write with the various embassies of the United States
d' Europe, you can access with this acampagne on www.foc.co.uk
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