Euro MPs back pesticide controls

[loki]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7825552.stm

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At last some good news from the EU, but we will have to wait and see what the catch is -

[Nostalgia]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

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At last some good news from the EU, but we will have to wait and see what the catch is -

I hate to spoil the party but what if.........
My upside down mind had a thought about this, what if the EU is hoping to use this legislation in the hope that many crops in the UK will fail, or will not be as productive without the pesticides.
The lack of crops may then force those of us in the UK to change our minds about GM due to shortages.
It seems strange that the EU would make a decision like this when farmers fields in the UK are being devastated by floods and we have been told previously in the past that the world is suffering food shortages.
Personally I am all for more organic, but I just do not trust the EU.

EU GM crop area expands

29/10/2007 16:36:00
FWi

Genetically modified (GM) crops, all maize, were grown on more than 100,000ha (250,000 acres) in the EU last year – a 77% increase on the 2006 figure.

The news, from biotech industry association EuropaBio, comes shortly after the EU Commission approved three GM crop varieties for import as food, feed and processing and one GM sugar beet variety for use in food and feed, according to the Agricultural Biotechnology Council.

But two other GM maize varieties have come under fire from Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas and Friends of the Earth, and French prime minister Nicolas Sarkosy has imposed a temporary freeze on planting GM crops in France - at least until the spring.

“We are delighted that biotech cultivation in Europe is increasing at such a significant rate,” said ABC chairman Julian Little. “GM crops are now firmly established in Europe and are here to stay.

“The demonstrable benefits of GM crops include increased yields, reduced costs, reduced greenhouse gas emissions and a reduced environmental footprint.

“Our only concern is that the UK is being left behind in this process. British farmers could also benefit from this technology, and we look forward to them being able to being able to access appropriate GM technology soon.”

EuropaBio said seven EU member states grew 110,077ha (272,000 acres) of GM crops last year.

French growers quadrupled their area and those in the Czech Republic and Germany doubled theirs.

Spain, the largest biotech crop producer having grown Bt maize for 10 years, increased its area by over 40%.

Bt maize, still the only GM crop that may legally be grown in the EU, resists the European corn borer a pest steadily making its way north, according to the ABC.

An Environmental Council meeting tomorrow (30 Oct) will discuss proposals on GM cultivation and import bans, noted Mr Little.

“We are delighted to see that the uptake of biotech crops is growing despite the fact that only one product is available on the European market,” said Johan Vanhemelrijck, EuropaBio secretary general.

“The cultivation of biotech plants is legally possible in all EU countries, and we strongly urge policy makers in Europe to give all farmers the right to choose the products which they think are best to protect their crops and increase their competitiveness.”

Over 200 biotech crops are under cultivation or development in 46 countries around the world, according to the ABC.

They account for over 100m ha (240m acres), according to Monsanto’s Colin Merritt. “Over 50% of the world’s soya is GM,” he said.

http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2007/1...a-expands.html

[Nostalgia]

Europe Must Listen to Mandelson on GM Food

The European Union (EU) Trade Commissioner, Peter Mandelson, (now UK current Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) last week, and for the umpteenth time, appealed to European countries to adopt an open approach to agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) food.

In a speech during the European Biotechnology Open Day in Brussels, Belgium, Mr. Mandelson counseled Europe to embrace biotechnology that “… prioritizes strict science-based health and safety testing but which recognizes that safe biotechnology has a crucial role to play in agriculture and agricultural trade both in Europe and the developing world.”

Continued

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Hmm, I just clicked on a link at http://spiderednews.com/ part the way down the of news summary on the left hand side called "Pesticide Irony"
As you move your curser over the link a pop up appears which says "how banning pesticides may lead to more gm foods" but if you click on the link all you get is 404 page not found.
Also if you go to the business page of the BBC, you will also see the same link, but again you get a 404 page not found message, has it been removed?



Pesticide irony
How banning some pesticides may lead to more GM foods

I do entirely agree, the farmers are warning the crops may be crap.

this for hidden agendas!