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Mar. 26 2000
UK Independent
Europe to act on GM pollution of organic farms
Ministers want Britons to have the power to sue GM companies, and force
them to pay massive damages if they harm health, the environment or
livelihoods.
They are backing moves in the European Parliament to make Monsanto and
other giant firms financially responsible for any ill-effects of their
activities. They are particularly keen to safeguard organic farmers, who
face ruin if their crops are contaminated with pollen from GM crops.
The measure would dramatically shift the balance of power in the
management of GM foods and crops to the public, while calling the bluff
of
the firms, who have long claimed GM produce is harmless.
Last week the European parliament's environment committee passed an
amendment to an EU directive imposing full liability on the companies
for
damage done by their products. The amendment goes before the full
parliament next month and, if passed, will be sent to EU environment
ministers for approval.
Michael Meacher, the environment minister, has already called on the
European Commission to draw up a similar measure, and he will raise it
again at a meeting with his EU colleagues this week.
Right-wing MEPs and David Bowe MEP, the Labour spokesman on the
environment committee, predict a bitter battle. "The companies have
been
mounting a huge campaign behind the scenes to kill the amendment,"
he
says. "But they must take responsibility for their products, and
the
public must be protected." Patrick Holden, director of the Soil
Association, hailed the amendment as "tremendous". He says 30
organic
farmers are close enough to the field trials of GM crops announced 10
days
ago, for their produce to be contaminated by bees carrying pollen from
the
plots. If this happened, the farmers could lose their licences as organic
growers, threatening their livelihood. Mr Holden says they have to have
the right to take the GM companies to court for compensation. Under the
provisions, companies could also be sued if genes from their crops escaped
and created "superweeds", or if GM foods were found to damage
health.
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