Brussels, 23/09/2013 (Agence Europe) - At the Agriculture Council on Monday 23 September, the Slovenian delegation presented the main conclusions of an international conference, held in Moravske Toplice (Slovenia) on 23 August of this year, on furthering the production of protein crops in the Danube and South European Region.
At this conference, several speakers underlined the need for the EU to improve its self-sufficiency in protein crops, as it is almost entirely dependent on protein-crop imports, in particular soya from the United States, Brazil and Argentina.
Most of the soya imported for animal feed is genetically modified, at a time when the public is wanting more GMO-free products. Thus, an initiative seeking to promote GMO-free soya in the Danube Region was launched in January 2013 by 13 countries, including Slovenia. The conference provided the opportunity to exchange information on the implementation of this initiative.
A large number of agriculture ministers, including those from Italy, Spain, Romania, Finland, Bulgaria, Austria, Latvia and Poland, backed the idea of limiting the EU's dependence on protein-crop imports and the idea of bringing in labelling for GMO-free protein crops (for animal feed). Only the United Kingdom argued that public money should not be used to develop protein crops. The British delegation suggested that there is already a high level of production within the EU, arguing that it was possible to import these products cheaply. It said that use of protein crops from GM farming should be facilitated. (LC/transl.fl)