Brussels, 25/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - Monica Frassoni, co-president of the Greens/EFA Group at the European Parliament, was highly critical of President Bush, who accused Europeans on Tuesday of being responsible for famine in Africa because they refuse to import genetically modified crops (see yesterday's EUROPE, p.13). The plight of the African people is not primarily due to a lack of GM crops, but to bad government policies and the protectionist agricultural policies of the US and the EU, she states in a press release. She goes on to note that "Bush is more interested in the profit margins of US biotech companies (that his administration is in the pocket of) than in the fate of the African farmers. GM crops will make Africa dependent on huge US companies". Ms Frassoni welcomed the EU's precautionary approach and states with indignation: "If Bush wants to use US citizens as guinea pigs on GM food, he is welcome to. The EU thankfully puts the health of its citizens before commercial interests".
Another MEP, British Green member Caroline Lucas took the floor at the Sacramento Conference where George W. Bush spoke on Tuesday. In her view, remarks such as those made by the US President can but widen the rift between the EU and the US. She seized the opportunity provided to criticise the WTO, which she calls the "undemocratic body", warning: "This 'mother of all trade wars' will galvanise European public opposition to the WTO too (…). By challenging the [EU] moratorium, the US will transfer public hostility to GM foods onto the WTO itself".