Euro-MP to quiz Commission over illegal GMOs

11.00.43am GMT Thu 26th Oct 2006

Sarah in the European Parliament

London Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford is to quiz the European Commission over illegal genetically modified organisms found in rice imports from the US.

After tabling today a question to Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou to be answered in the December session of the European Parliament, Baroness Ludford said:

"This is of an issue of health but also of trust. When consumers buy rice that they are told is GM-free, they must be able to trust the claim on the packet. Brussels needs to step in to protect British shoppers."

"It is disgraceful that we have apparently been let down by the UK's Food Standards Agency. If the supposed 'watchdog' really did tell retailers not to remove potentially contaminated rice from their shelves or test for contamination, they should be reprimanded. This episode shows the dangers of the British government's proposal to allow GM crops to be grown alongside conventional and organic crops."

"Governments must pay heed to European public opinion which is deeply sceptical about GMOs and the Commission must make sure that European law designed to protect consumers is actually respected by member states."

Notes

Full text of Sarah Ludford's question to Commissioner Kyprianou:

While the Commission decision of October 23rd requiring mandatory testing for GMOs in rice imports is welcome, many aspects of this story raise deep concern.

Since the US authorities have been certifying their rice as free of the unauthorised GMO LLRICE 601 which was nonetheless discovered in the shipments, what confidence can EU consumers have in the reliability of such certification systems?

UK supermarkets were reportedly selling the GM-contaminated rice imported from the US with the permission of Britain's official food safety watchdog the Food Standards Agency. Does this inspire confidence in the FSA? How was their stance compatible with EU law?

UK government proposes to allow GM crops to be grown alongside conventional and organic crops. How will the Commission stop contravention of EU law regarding contamination?