France Should Test GMOs, But Pause Needed - Report
Date: 15-Apr-05
Country: FRANCE
Author: Sybille de La Hamaide
The report, drawn up by National Assembly members, said that although the risk was not zero, GMO products were "certainly not more dangerous than others" and could sometimes improve food quality, environment or help create new medicines.
Many consumers remain hostile to biotech foods in France, where opposition has been led by radical farmer Jose Bove, who has been jailed for ripping up test fields of transgenic crops.
"Open field trials are an essential step for research and risk assessment," the report said.
"In order for our research sector to be recognised and for France to reclaim its place in the international debate, we ought to authorise those experiments -- under certain conditions -- case by case and with extreme rigour," it added.
The report, designed to contribute to planned legislation on GMOs later this year, said clearance for new field trials should be given after consumers and environmental groups have evaluated the experiments under way in France.
"We ask for a pause in 2005 on the authorisations to be granted on new demands for crop experiments," the report added, stressing that the principles of "parsimony, precaution and transparency" should apply before any new approvals.
ECONOMIC STAKES
Last year, France approved some 48 field trials -- mainly on GMO maize and rapeseed. Many have been attacked or destroyed by anti-GM campaigners.
The 2005 projects, registered by DuPont unit Pioneer, France's Biogemma, owned by seed-maker Limagrain, and French biotech company Meristem, are open to public consultation on the internet until April 18.
The government is due to decide on them later this year.
The parliamentary committee stressed the importance of GMO crops to the economy, noting that ignoring them could have serious consequences.
"The real question is to know whether France in the 21st century can do without GMOs and let other countries such as the United States, Spain, China, Brazil... and many others create a monopoly and control a whole segment of agriculture," it said.
Europe is lagging behind foreign rivals in research spending on biotechnology, prompting many EU scientists to move to more welcoming climates.
A study commissioned by the EU lobby EuropaBio said this week that research and development spending by European biotech companies totalled around 6 billion euros by the end of 2003, well below the 16 billion euros spent by US companies.
