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IFOAM EU Group at Coexistence conference |
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The European Commission organised together with the Austrian Presidency of the Council the conference "Co-existence of genetically modified, conventional and organic crops – freedom of choice" which took place at 4-6 April 2006 in Vienna, Austria. The IFOAM EU Group was represented by eight delegates. The GMO expert of the Group, Gundula Azeez, was invited as speaker in the workshop B "Consumer attitude and market responses to GMOs".
On the occassion of the conference the IFOAM EU Group urged the European Commission to take this event to be the start of a new EU policy that respects the wishes of the majority of European citizens and protect organic farming against any GM contamination. “It is simply not acceptable that others be allowed to contaminate our products as a result of their business practices”, says Marco Schlueter, co-ordinator of the IFOAM EU Group. “This threatens our economic existence and the continued successful growth of organic farming”. Therefore the IFOAM EU Group demands that all GM producers be required to follow a strict certified regime that ensures they do not contaminate others with transgenic material.
In a broad coalition of environmental, beekeeper, conventional and organic farming organisations signed a common statement. It was pointed out that there are great concerns that the key issues that the coalition has raised during this conference has not been fully addressed, in particular the Commission’s position on contamination and its assumptions on how these problems can be resolved.
Following the European Commission the conference was meant as part of the Commission’s consultations with interested parties on the development of efficient and cost-effective strategies to ensure co-existence. It follows the adoption on 9 March of a report on the progress EU Member States have made so far in implementing national rules. The report concluded that the development of EU-wide legislation on co-existence is not justified at this time, in view of the EU’s limited experience with the cultivation of GM crops and the need to conclude the process of introducing national measures.
The conference was opened by minister Pröll on behalf of the Austrian Council Presidency, follwed by speeches of the Agriculture Commissioner Fischer Boel and Environmental Commissioner Dimas.
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