http://www.msnbc.com/news/912840.asp?0cv=CB20
The US is set to announce on Tuesday it will file a long-anticipated case in the World Trade Organization aimed at forcing the European Union to lift its de facto moratorium on genetically modified foods, according to administration and congressional officials.
The US case will be joined by Argentina and Canada, which are also large producers of GM crops, as well as by Egypt, which is set to be rewarded next year with the launch of free-trade negotiations with the US.
The US argues that European restrictions on the approval of GM crops, adopted under pressure from European consumers more than four years ago, form an illegal trade barrier imposed without any evidence that the crops endanger human health or the environment.
Robert Zoellick, the US trade representative, said in January he was prepared to bring a WTO case but was blocked by the White House over fears that the dispute would hamper US efforts to win European support for the war in Iraq.
But with the conflict over and the White House angry over French and German opposition to military action, Mr. Zoellick has received the green light to press ahead.
The administration has also faced growing pressure from Congress and agricultural lobbying groups to bring a case. Charles Grassley, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has demanded the administration file a WTO case, saying the EU ban "has contributed to the spread of anti-biotechnology hysteria to other parts of the world."
US corn and soybean growers are among the world's largest users of genetically modified crops, and US farmers claim they are losing as much as $300m in annual sales to Europe.
David Byrne, EU health and consumer safety commissioner, on Monday described the US timing as "eccentric". He said the moratorium would be lifted by the year's end, well before the WTO can rule on the dispute.
