NEWS RELEASE
From the office of the Green MEPs [London, UK]

2 July, 2002

GREEN MEP CHALLENGES LABOUR TO PUT CONSUMER FIRST IN GM VOTE

LABOUR MEPs should put consumers' right to choose above the interests
of Tony Blair's friends in the biotech industry, Green MEP Dr Caroline
Lucas said in Strasbourg today.

On the eve of a crucial vote on the labelling of food containing
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs), Dr Lucas, challenged other UK
MEPs to listen to their constituents' concerns and reject a Government
attempt to block the proposed rules.

"Almost three quarters of UK shoppers want to see better labelling of
GM food - yet the government is trying to scupper European legislation
which will give them just that," said Dr Lucas.

"I urge Labour MEPs to vote with their conscience and put the wishes
of their constituents first. That, after all, is the whole point of
the job."

The Strasbourg parliament will vote tomorrow (Wednesday, June 3) on
proposals to introduce strict Europe-wide rules on the labelling of
food containing GMOs. Consumer and environmental organisations say the
new rules are an essential step towards providing fuller information
and ensuring choice for customers.

Other EU member states agree: since June 1999 the EU has refused to
grant any marketing permits for GMOs until five nations' demands for
"effective arrangements are adopted for the thorough traceability of
GMOs enabling reliable labelling of all GMO-derived products to be
guaranteed" are met.

The new regulations, which are being debated in the European
Parliament's plenary session in Strasbourg today (Tuesday, July 2),
will strengthen the current requirements to label any foods where the
GM DNA or protein is present and extend labelling, based on
traceability, to all products derived from genetic modification.
Some MEPs, including the Greens, are proposing an amendment reducing
the proposed threshold for accidental contamination with authorised
GMOs from 1% to 0.5%.

The UK government and its allies in the biotech industry reject these
proposals as being unworkable and open to fraud - and prefer to
advocate a GM-free label.

"This is clearly against the wishes of the majority of UK citizens who
have consistently called for full information on foods derived from GM
technology," said Dr Lucas. "A 'GM-free' label is clearly dependent on
the very traceability and labelling systems which the UK maintains are
unworkable - furthermore it is acknowledged such a system will incur
extra costs for consumers, denying choice and imposing unsupportable
burdens on small UK producers wishing to remain GM-free."

Labour MEPs are being asked by Downing Street to vote against the
proposals and reject mandatory labelling of foods derived from GMO
crops. Dr Lucas said: "Their position appears to be based on the
flawed premise that UK consumers don't care to what extent their food
has been genetically altered. This is self-evidently wrong - recent
figures show 74 per cent of UK citizens want proper labelling of their
food.

"While the Commission is trying to protect consumers' freedom of
choice, Tony Blair is trying to force feed GM foods to the rest of the
continent. The Government's position, which would also deny member
states the ability to take emergency measures in the event of a food
safety scare involving GMOs, shows it is more interested in cozying up
to Blair's friends in the biotech industry than in defending
everyone's right to choose safe food."

The Green/EFA group supports the proposals but would go further,
extending the regulations to all processing aids - such as food
enzymes - and products derived from animals fed with GMOs. They also
argue the responsibility for preventing GMO contamination of GM-free
crops must lie with the GMO grower rather than with the victim of
contamination, in line with the 'polluter pays' principle.

ENDS

For more information call Ben Duncan on 020 7407 6280 or 0776 997 0691

[MEP = Member of the European Parliament]