Brussels, 26/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EU-United States summit served to clarify misunderstandings concerning genetically modified organisms (GMOs) explained a European Commission spokesperson on Thursday. But that is probably all it did. The day before, in Washington, the European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy admitted after a series of interviews, including with President Bush, that negotiations regarding GMOs did not seem to be moving in the right direction. He acknowledged serious disagreements, noting that the parties had not yet discovered a way of agreeing to differ. Along the same lines, the President of the European Council, Costas Simitis, and Romano Prodi earlier hinted that disagreements continued in this area, with the President of the European Commission refuting Bush's argument that the EU would starve the third world if it banned GMOs in Europe. Pascal Lamy said this argument was “unacceptable”, saying (while standing next to his US counterpart Robert Zoellick) that it was one thing not to agree with the food produce authorisation process in the EU or the US, but they could not accept famine in Africa being used to try and influence public opinion. He went on to say that the EU is highly aware of the United States' interest in famine in Africa and the benefits biotechnology may provide one say, but from the European viewpoint, this looks like an offensive by US agri-food companies to get rid of stockpiles through the old food aid programmes. For the US, Robert Zoellick regretted that other countries in the world were lining up with the EU to block GMOs which are so important for development and also for the environment by making it possible to cut pesticide use. He called for a public debate on the issue, explaining that African countries have publicly expressed their fears about producing food containing GMOs unless they are certain they can sell it in the EU.