Jill Evans MEP to address major European conference on GMOs

Europe has to legislate if we are to stop genetically modified contamination of the food chain - that's the stark message that Euro MP Jill Evans will deliver to a major European conference on GMOs held in Brussels later today (Wednesday). 'GMOs - Co-Existence or Contamination' features keynote speakers from a range of environmental organisations across Europe as well as leading politicians and the European Commission.

Jill Evans, who is a member of the European Parliament's environment committee, recently successfully amended proposed GMO laws in parliament. If adopted by the full Parliament, the amended regulations will compel member states to prevent cross contamination by GMOs and to introduce better food labelling so that food products containing GM have to be clearly labelled as such.

Speaking in Brussels, Jill Evans MEP will say:

“Europe has to legislate if we are to stop GM contamination of the food chain. We have taken the lead in Parliament by tightening up new GM regulations. This would mean that foods containing GM have to be clearly labelled and national governments have to act to avoid cross contamination of crops.

"The European Commission has already said that it would be impossible to grow GM crops alongside organic and conventional crops without cross contamination. And as there have been no controlled clinical trials designed to test the impact of either short-term or long-term ingestion of GM foods upon human health, it would be extremely irresponsible of the government to permit GM cultivation.

"Those of us who are deeply concerned about the aggressive promotion of GMOs by the UK government and big biotech companies have a duty to defend people's right to choose whether or not to buy food containing GMOs. Members of the public in Wales have quite clearly stated that they do not want GM food to be on the market, and as result, all supermarkets in Britain currently have no-GM policies.

"The European Commission and the UK government are dodging their political responsibility for the freedom of choice of consumers, and this conference is an opportunity to show them that this is just not good enough. Wales can and should, remain GM-free."

End.