Fwd: ISP letter to the president of Croatia

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Tue, 8 Jul 2003 15:43:07 +0100

ISP letter to the president of Croatia

press-release

 

The Institute of Science in Society

Science Society Sustainability

http://www.i-sis.org.uk

 

General Enquiries sam

Website/Mailing List press-release

ISIS Director m.w.ho

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ISP letter to the president of Croatia

 

Mr. Stipe Mesic

President of R. Croatia

e-mail: ured

 

Dear Mr. President,

 

Please allow me to address you on behalf of the Independent Science Panel (ISP)

on Genetic Modification (GM), officially launched at a public conference in

London, UK, on May 10; an event attended by 200, including UK’s then Environment

Minister, Michael Meacher.

 

The ISP consists of 24 prominent scientists from seven countries including

Croatia, spanning the relevant disciplines of agronomy, agroecology, ecology,

biochemistry, biophysics, botany, chemical medicine, molecular genetics,

nutrition, histopathology, toxicology and virology, who are concerned to provide

critical scientific information to the global debate over genetic engineered

crops, in view of its importance for the future of our food and agriculture.

 

The ISP members have undertaken an extensive review of the scientific and other

evidence on the problems and hazards of GM crops and the many health,

environmental and social benefits of all forms of sustainable agriculture. The

results are presented in a report entitled, The Case for a GM Free Sustainable

World a draft of which was released electronically on May 10, and was finalised

and published on 15 June 2003 on a newly created ISP website www.indsp.org

 

We are pleased to enclose an executive summary of the evidence assembled

(together with a list of ISP members), based on which, we are calling for a

global ban on environmental release of GM crops to make way for agroecology,

organic farming and other forms of sustainable agriculture.

 

The ISP would also like to congratulate the Croatian government for having taken

an early decision, during the 35th session of Croatian Parliament (November 27,

1998), to forbid any sowing of GM plants, even for experimental purpose, to

forbid import of GM food and GM agricultural products, to develop legal

regulations, and to establish a Bioethics Committee for GMO, a decision that was

widely accepted.

 

We are also aware that in June 2001, four Croatian ministries agreed on the text

of a draft law to ban genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products until

the Government has brought in a more specific regulatory framework.

 

Your Environment Minister Kovacevic has stated, “Considering that tourism holds

a strategic place in Croatian business, and that we pride ourselves on organic

farming, the government wants to stress the fact that we offer only GMO-free

products as our comparative advantage. That is our national interest. Therefore,

we want to draft legislation that will make sure our interests are protected,

without violating any of our international commitments.”

 

Since September 2001, Croatia has been under increasing US pressure to drop the

draft law. The US Embassy in Zagreb is attempting to put trade before

environmental protection by stating that, “if such a ban is implemented, the US

Government must consider its rights under WTO.” The fact remains that 74% of

Croatians do not accept GMO food, even if import of GM food is to be permitted

by law in Croatia.

 

We urge you to abide by Croatia’s earlier decision, and remind you that the

Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, the first legally binding international

agreement governing the movement of living modified organisms (LMO) across

national borders, will take effect on 11 September 2003. This was made possible

after the Republic of Palau became the 50th country to ratify it.

 

The Cartagena Protocol establishes the rights of national governments to

regulate all GMOs; while developing countries may use the Protocol to regulate

commodities even before national policy are in place. Environmental, human

health and socio-economic factors are recognised as valid considerations in

determining whether to accept or reject GMO imports, and in accordance with the

precautionary principle.

 

On 20 June 2003, Austria, Slovenia and Italy created Europe’s first GMO free

bioregion for organic agriculture. They are encouraging other regions of Europe

to join this initiative or start their own initiatives to create GMO-free zones

to enable the cultivation of non –GM food for the European market.

 

We urge your Government to resist the pressure from the USA and hold onto what

is best for your citizens and for the world at large.

 

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Mae-Wan Ho

For the Independent Science Panel on GM

PO Box 32097

London NW1 0XR

U.K.

 

Cc Mr. Zlatko Tomcic, President of Parliament

e-mail: sabor

 

Mr. Ivica Racan, Prime Minister

e-mail: premijer

 

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General Enquiries sam

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ISIS Director m.w.ho

 

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