Brussels, 13/03/2000 (Agence Europe) - The professional agricultural organisations, Copa and Cogeca have taken a stance on the use of gene technology in agriculture. They state that the current de facto moratorium must remain in place the time it takes to allow for a debate on the introduction of a solid legislative framework within the EU and at international level (with notably a protocol on bio-security). The debate has also to provide consumers and farmers with the possibility of making well-founded and safe choices.
The recommendations addressed by Copa and Cogeca to European institutions aim at:
a transparent and reliable procedure comprising scientific assessment of all possible risks, a Community authorisiation for placing on the market and post release monitoring;
an appropriate labelling system of GMOs: a system needs setting up for authorised organisms, with thresholds for adventitious contamination of 1% under which labelling is not necessary. These labelling requirements have to be applied in the same way for all imported products;
liability: in no circumstance should a farmer be held liable for any damage caused by proper use of GMOs and derived products. Biotechnology companies, responsible for the placing of the product on the market, must have full civil and environmental responsibility for their products;
research to improve risk-assessment methods need better support from the EU;
definitive ban on antibiotic-resistant marker genes in GMOs must be decided.
The two organisations again also plead in favour of a ban on the patentability of plant and animal varieties, as well as retaining "farmers' privilege" regarding the use of saved seed.