EU

Brussels On the same day that French newspaper Le Monde reveals confidential expert opinion that raises doubts about the safety of a genetically modified (GM) maize recently cleared by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), Greenpeace has released a report criticising the new EU GMO evaluation procedures. The environmental group today urges European Agriculture Ministers to reject a Commission proposal to allow the import and marketing of a GM sweet corn for human consumption.

On Monday 13th October, EU Commissioner Margot Wallstrom will address business leaders at the Greenpeace Business Lecture in London (1). She will talk about the importance of new European REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) legislation, which aims to control the manufacture and use of all chemicals made and used in Europe.

The European Parliament today voted to adopt strict rules that will see all GM foods labelled across the EU. The move is certain to infuriate the Bush administration and GM-lobbyists in the United States, where the European proposal was fiercely opposed. Tony Blair and the Food Standards Agency were also known to oppose the legislation. The comprehensive new rules mean that all food and animal feed containing or deriving from genetically modified organisms will have to be clearly labelled, making it possible for farmers, food producers and consumers to avoid using or eating them.

As the United States prepares to launch a trade war over European plans to label all GM food, a new MORI poll reveals that British consumers want European leaders like Tony Blair to stand up to George Bush and defend their right to know what they're eating.

Today's visionary declaration by North Sea Ministers to promote renewable energy in the North Sea was clouded by fall out from the on-going argument on radioactive discharges from Sellafield. 

North Sea Ministers including UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher agreed to "welcome the development of renewable energy, inter alia offshore wind energyThey agree to take action to exploit this potential fully and safely." However, Greenpeace warned that this historic commitment would be undermined by the continued support of the UK and France to the polluting nuclear industry.

The North Sea has huge potential to harness wind power and develop renewable energy. Just 1% of the resource could power more than 6 million homes. In contrast to the billions of euros of state support for the nuclear industry, renewables still receive insufficient funding.

Greenpeace political advisor Simon Reddy said,
"The UK and France have to understand that the policies they articulated in Bergen represent a fundamental contradiction. What use is it signing up to clean renewable energy if you simultaneously continue to support a failing industry that is polluting our environment? It's a policy that's about as stable as the ice shelf that's just broken off from Antarctica."

During the 5th North Sea Ministers meeting in Bergen, the UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher stated publicly: "The twentieth century was the century of oil, the twenty-first must be the century of renewable energy."

The conference saw Ministers from nine countries and the EU recognise that climate change brought on by the use of fossil fuels poses a potent threat to the ecosystem and coastal regions of the North Sea. They also acknowledged the need to develop renewable alternatives to fossil fuels like oil and gas.

The commitment by the ministers to take action to exploit the wind potential of the North Sea was welcomed by Greenpeace. However, the agreement will only be worthwhile if it leads to massive financial investment in the offshore wind industry. Greenpeace emphasised that only through a commitment to renewable energy technologies will governments be able to make a substantial and sustainable contribution to their Kyoto Protocol commitments.

Greenpeace today delivered a MORI poll to Environment Minister Michael Meacher showing that 87% of the British public want the government to ban illegal imports of wood from the world's ancient forests. Furthermore 80% want the British Government to pledge funding to a proposed international fund to protect the world's remaining ancient forests.

EU pressing ahead with Kyoto

Greenpeace, WWF and Friends of the Earth (FoE), the three largest international environmental groups welcomed the conclusions of the EU Heads of state and government to isolate President George W Bush by their decision to go ahead with the implementation and ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.