>=========================== >The Committee for National Solidarity >Tolstojeva 34, 11000 Belgrade, YU >The Independent > >Clinton attacks Europe for moving too slowly over 'safe' GM food > > > By Richard Lloyd Parry > > 24 July 2000 > > President Bill Clinton criticised European leaders >for moving > too slowly on the promotion of genetically modified >foods > yesterday, after three days of talks among the Group >of Eight > leaders failed to overcome intense trans-Atlantic >differences > over the future of biotechnology. > > "You know that I believe that," he said, when asked >if he > thought Europe is being too cautious on GM foods. >"If we > could get more of this golden rice, which is a >genetically > modified strain of rice, especially rich in vitamin >A, out to the > developing world, it could save 40,000 lives a day, >people that > are malnourished and dying." > > "If it's safe - that's the big issue," he said, at a >press > conference with Tony Blair. "All the evidence that >I've seen > convinces me, based on what all the scientists know >now, that > it is." > > Despite a determination to present a harmonious >front at the > end of the three-day summit of the G8 in the >Japanese island > of Okinawa, the leaders made little attempt to >disguise their > dispute over GM foods. > > "There is the thesis supported by Jean Chretien [the > Canadian Prime Minister] and Bill Clinton that GM >foods aren't > dangerous," said Jacques Chirac, the French >President. > "Then there is the other school, that of Europe and >Japan, that > considers the potential consequences for health and > environment require precaution and scientific >certitude." > > Both France and the United States have powerful >farming > lobbies. Hundreds of US farmers who are growing GM >crops, > produced by companies such as Monsanto, have found >their > markets disappearing through a widespread refusal to >buy > them. > > New US government figures show that the planting of >GM corn > and soya is decreasing, after years of rapid >expansion, and > even US shoppers are turning against the foods. > > The European policy of "precaution," meanwhile, >meansGM > foods are assumed to be unsafe until proven >otherwise. "You > have all of Europe stressing the principle of >precaution," the > European Commission President Romano Prodi said >after > the summit. > > Japan's Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori said the leaders >were > considering setting up an independent panel to >promote > further discussion of the issue. The leaders, >however, did not > immediately endorse such an organisation. > > The final communiquщ issued at the end of the summit >made > no direct mention of biotechnology as an area of >concern, but > referred to the "potential risks associated with >food" in > general. > > Highlighting the different points of view expressed, >it also > called for helping the "capacity building [of >developing > countries] to harness the potentials of >biotechnology," in a nod > to the US position. > > The statement said the G8 would explore how to >"integrate the > best scientific knowledge available into the global >process of > consensus building on biotechnology and other >aspects of > food and crop safety." > > "This whole science of biotechnology is perhaps >going to be > for the first half of the 21st century what >information technology > was to the last half of the 20th century," said Mr >Blair. "There > are intensely held views on both sides, but the most >important > thing is that we get access to the best scientific >evidence." > > There was more consensus among the leaders >concerning > the nearly complete mapping of the human genome. > > The communiquщ praised the breakthrough as a >"dramatic > and welcome step" and urged fair intellectual >property > protection. On the genome, "there was no problem, no > difficulty and no disagreement," Mr Chirac said. > > >Secretary General >Mrs. Jela Jovanovic >Art historian >=========================== > > <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! 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[CTRL] Fw: Clinton attacks Europe for moving too slowly over 'safe' GM food
Mrs. Jela Jovanovic, Secretary General Mon, 24 Jul 2000 14:55:54 -0700
