Associated Press
Jul. 2, 2003 Brussels — The European Parliament passed tough rules on genetically modified products Wednesday, opening the way to lift the European Union's ban on their sale as long as they are clearly labelled.The 626-member assembly backed two proposals that would allow the lifting of a seven-year freeze by European countries on the introduction of new biotech foods.
The regulations require producers to trace genetically modified organisms at all stages of production and oblige supermarkets to label products containing more than 0.9-per-cent biotech material to say: "This product is produced from GMOs."
The new laws also allow the 15 EU nations to set their own rules to prevent seeds from farms growing GM crops blowing on to fields of conventional or organic produce.
The United States has long pushed the EU to drop its biotech ban. But the new rules are unlikely to satisfy Washington, which says mandatory labelling of biotech products will be too costly for exporters.
Washington has said the laws, as proposed, would continue to constitute an unfair trade barrier to biotech products.
Still, environmentalists welcomed the vote. Greenpeace said it would give the EU, "the world's strictest and most comprehensive rules on the labelling of genetically modified organisms."
Skeptical European consumers can continue to shun biotech products, the group said.
"This vote is a slap in the face of the U.S. administration, which thought that by bullying ... Europe, and eventually others, would swallow its GMO policy," said Eric Gall, Greenpeace EU adviser on genetic engineering.
Backed by Canada and Australia, the United States says the EU's cautious approach is based on unfounded health fears. The three have filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization to force Europe to lift the moratorium.
U.S. farmers estimate that the European restrictions have cost them nearly $300-million a year in lost corn exports alone.
The moratorium on new biotech foods was introduced in 1998, in response to consumer fears about the possible health risks genetically modified products.
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