Brussels / Washington, 30/01/2003 (Agence Europe) - After years of growing pressure, punctuated this month by Robert Zoellick himself upping the stakes, the United States is preparing to decide whether or not to initiate its attack in Geneva against the European policy of boycotting genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "We shall soon have an Administration stance" the Secretary of State for Agriculture Ann Veneman told Reuters.
The ministerial meeting, initially scheduled for Tuesday, was postponed to next week, probably Monday or Tuesday, a well-informed American source tells us. Nevertheless, the intentions of the different governmental agencies still seem very divided, and, according to indications coming from Washington (qualified as "rumours" by the person herself), Ms. Veneman is said not to be convinced as to whether or not to lodge a complaint at the WTO against the European embargo., likewise for other officials, including her counterpart for trade Don Evans and Secretary of State Colin Powell. "My opinion would be: go slowly in this affair", Commissioner David Byrne said earlier this week, warning Washington against a likely boomerang effect: "If consumers see that something is being done to impose a situation on them they want nothing to do with, I believe that it would have an adverse effect", he warned.