Posted on 29-5-2003
Egypt
Withdraws From WTO GM Offensive
US-led trade war coalition starts to crumble.
BRUSSELS, MAY 28, 2003 - Attempts by the United States administration
to
force Europe to accept Genetically Modified (GM) food and crops
received a
serious blow after Egypt announced that it would not be part
of a World
Trade Organisation challenge to the European Union's de facto
moratorium on
approving new GM licenses. The Egyptian Government says that
it has taken
its decision because it recognizes "the need to preserve adequate
and
effective consumer and environmental protection."
On 13 May the United States said that it would be joined by
Argentina,
Canada and Egypt in filing a World Trade Organisation (WTO)
case
against Europe over "its illegal five-year moratorium on approving
agricultural biotech products" [1]. But the Egyptian Government
says that
it has decided "not to become a party" to the WTO complaint.
In a letter
[2] dated May 27 the Egyptian ambassador to the European Union
wrote that
"The Government of Egypt took this decision in conscious emulation
of the
need to preserve adequate and effective consumer and environmental
protection, and with the desire to reduce further distortions
and
impediments to international trade that may result due to the
further
pursuit of this matter within the WTO".
Europeans are concerned about the threat that GM crops pose
to food,
farming and the environment. There are also fears about the
long-term
health impacts from eating GM food. Opinion polls show that
70% of the
European public don't want GM food and 94% want to be able to
choose
whether or not they eat it (Eurobarometer 2001).
Friends of the Earth Europe's GM campaigner Geert Ritsema said:
"We're
delighted that Egypt has withdrawn from this US attempt to force
GM food
and crops into Europe. Countries should be allowed to choose
what they eat
and what they grow in their fields. The United States should
withdraw its
WTO challenge, and stop trying to bully Europe over GMOs."
Notes:
1. Official US press release at www.ustr.gov/releases/2003/05/03-31.pdf
2. A copy of the letter sent to the European Consumers' Organisation
(BEUC)
by the Egyptian ambassador to the European Union is available
from Friends
of the Earth and the BEUC.
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