Update on Genetically Engineered Foods and the WTO
12/2/99
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Title: The Latest on GE Foods and the WTO
Source: The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods
Status: Copyright 1999, contact source for permission to reprint
Date: December 2, 1999
Byline: Craig Winters
We have had several requests from members and subscribers wanting to
know more about the WTO activities and negotiations regarding
genetically engineered foods. I will do my best to give you an update
on the events taking place in Seattle.
First on the educational side, there have been numerous educational
and organizational events regarding genetically engineered foods
taking place since Saturday. Many of the world's top scientists on
genetically engineered foods have given presentations. Dr. David
Suzuki, Dr. Mae Wan Ho, Dr.Vanadana Shiva, and many others have been
involved in numerous panel discussions. Today Congressman Dennis
Kucinich moderated a panel discussion on genetically engineered foods
for the press. However, as you may have seen on television, the WTO
protests have been major and significant. We were actually locked in
the Bell Harbor Convention Center today during the panel discussion.
Seattle police would not let anyone leave the building since
protesters and police were having confrontations. Tear gas and pepper
spray were being used. The police in riot gear look like something
out of Star Wars. After Tuesday's near riot environment and the
millions of dollars of vandalism and looting, the police really got
aggressive on Wednesday. Over 400 people were arrested. Tear gas and
pepper spray use are a common occurrence. As I write this, the 11:00
news just had live coverage showing police firing more tear gas at
hundreds of protesters who are still in the streets. It is quite a
scene in Seattle this week.
On Sunday afternoon, about 150 genetic engineering activists had a
meeting with representatives from some 20 different countries. At
this meeting we learned that we did not want a "working group" of
GMOs to be created at the WTO. Instead we learned that the best
approach would be to allow the Biosafety Protocol to the U.N.
Convention on Biological Diversity deal with this issue. The goal was
to not make genetically engineered foods a trade issue of the WTO,
but instead deal with it as a health and safety issue of the United
Nations. Unfortunately, pressure from the United States to create a
"working group" appears to have won out. On Wednesday, the European
Commission agreed to set up a working group. This concession was
immediately criticized by environmental ministers from the European
Union countries. I am including an article below that will report on
the controversy regarding the creation of this working group.
On a more optimistic note, many activists and scientists from around
the world feel we are beginning to win the battle over genetically
engineered foods. They are extremely pleased that Congressman
Kucinich has introduced labeling legislation into the U.S. Congress.
They feel this action will strengthen their position in their
countries. Up until now, they have been running into the argument
that "American's all like genetically engineered foods." Now that is
becoming apparent that American's citizens are also concerned about
genetically engineered foods, it makes it much easier for them to
argue against these controversial crops.
Of particular significance, 144 scientists from 25 countries have
signed on to a letter being presented at the WTO meeting calling for
"the immediate suspension of all environmental releases of GM crops
and products; for patents on life-forms and living processes to be
revoked and banned; and for a comprehensive public enquiry into the
future of agriculture and food security for all." Here is a link to
the web site of the Institute of Science in Society where you can
find the complete letter and list of signers: http://www.i-
sis.dircon.co.uk/
Well, that the news from the WTO. The article on the working group is
below.
Craig Winters
Executive Director
The Campaign to Label Genetically Engineered Foods The Campaign
PO Box 55699
Seattle, WA 98155
Tel: 425-771-4049
Fax: 603-825-5841
E-mail: mailto:label@thecampaign.org
Web Site: http://www.thecampaign.org
Mission Statement: "To create a national grassroots consumer campaign
for the purpose of lobbying Congress and the President to pass
legislation that will require the labeling of genetically engineered
foods in the United States."
***************EU ministers rap EC on WTO biotechnology concession
By Anthony Boadle
SEATTLE, Dec 1 (Reuters) - The 15 governments of the European Union
rapped the European Commission on Wednesday for making a surprise
concession to the United States on biotechnology in world trade
negotiations, European diplomats said. The European Commission, the
executive branch that negotiates for the 15-member trade bloc, agreed
to set up a working group to discuss biotech issues within the World
Trade Organisation meeting here.
Environmental groups promptly accused the EC of caving in to
Washington by accepting to treat the controversial issue, which
covers genetically modified crops, as a trade matter rather than an
environmental or health problem in a new round of trade talks the WTO
hopes to launch this week in Seattle.
Environment ministers of France, Denmark, Belgium and Britain said
they were opposed to the idea. At a later meeting on Wednesday, all
15 trade ministers of the European Union took European Commissioner
Pascal Lamy to task for negotiating beyond his mandate.``There was
quasi unanimous criticism of the concession made to the United States
in the biotechnology field,'' a diplomat told Reuters.
``You didn't just shoot yourself in the foot. You machine gunned
yourself in the foot,'' one trade minister said to Lamy, according to
the diplomat who attended the meeting.It was the first major rift
between the European Union and its Commission in the WTO talks and
reflected the sensitivity of the European public to food safety
issues and its aversion to hormone-treated beef imported from the
United States.
The split came as the 135-nation WTO meetings got down to horse-
trading over the agenda for the so-called Millennium Round of trade
liberalisation talks. The European ministers said they were satisfied
with EC negotiating stance on all other issues.
LAMY ASKS FOR TIME
Lamy told the EU Council of Ministers that negotiations at the four-
day meeting were just getting off the ground and asked them to hold
off judgment until the end of the week, the diplomat said.
``Lamy asked the ministers to judge the balance of the negotiations
to see what had been achieved overall,'' he said.
Environmental activists have vilified the U.S. and Canadian proposal
to create a working group on biotechnology in the WTO, saying it
would likely subordinate negotiations of a Biosafety Protocol to the
U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity.
``The WTO has neither the mandate, the competence nor the public
trust to work on this controversial issue,'' said Charles Arden-
Clarke, World Wide Fund for Nature spokesman on trade.
Friends of the Earth said bringing the issue under the WTO could
allow the United States, the main exporter of genetically modified
crops, or GMOs, to press countries to open their market to their
biotech companies controversial products. Food experts say higher
yield GMOs are needed to feed the world's increasing population. But
critics contend genetically modified seeds could affect other crops
species and pose unknown health hazards.
European Commission officials said their priority was still to
complete negotiation of a Biosafety Protocol, but they would not
stand in the way of biotech discussions at the WTO.