European Agriculture Ministers agree to coexistence of biotech, non-biotech and organic crop production

24-May-2006

The European agriculture Ministers discussed the coexistence of growing biotech, non-biotech and organic crops. The European biotechnology industry notes in particular the importance of the Agriculture Council's recognition that the very different agro-environmental and growing conditions across the EU require flexibility in technical rules and for the establishment of Community wide thresholds for GM in Non GM seed. For these reasons, EuropaBio supports the recommendation from Council that the Commission develops more "in-depth" technical guidelines that can be adapted by the Member States to meet their own individual needs as well as practical seed thresholds.

"EuropaBio considers that the more European farmers see the benefits provided by crop varieties developed using modern biotechnology, the more they are likely to want to grow them. Today's recognition of that is a welcome development", said Simon Barber of EuropaBio.

However, because of unclear or prohibitive rules in some EU Member States, many growers still do not have a real choice. EuropaBio counts on Member States and the European Commission to support the Council decision by ensuring all European farmers have the freedom to choose.

Coexistence in Europe is already a reality and there is ample experience of successful practices in Spain, the EU Member State that grows the largest area of GM maize. The experience in Spain and from around the world shows that growing organic and conventional non-GM crops in the same agricultural region is possible when growers discuss their cropping plans with one another and reasonable separation measures are set in place.

Successful coexistence will partially depend on establishing practical thresholds for GM material in Non-GM seeds. EuropaBio therefore calls on the Commission to follow the Council's recommendation and put forward a proposal to establish practical thresholds as a matter of urgency.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/55007/european-agriculture-ministers-agree-to-coexistence-of-biotech-non-biotech-and-organic-crop-production.html