Plaid Cymru MEP Jill Evans is concerned that Wales' GM Free status will be put under threat if a ruling from the World Trade Organisation goes unchallenged. The Geneva based body that regulates international trade ruled this week on a complaint from the USA, Argentina and Canada that EU restrictions on GM food imports were unjustified and should be lifted.

Now there are concerns that this will put pressure on the European Union to take a less restrictive line on allowing the import and growing of genetically modified crops and foods containing GMOs.

Wales is one of 172 European regions and provinces that have declared themselves GM free and there is massive public opposition both to allowing GM crops to be grown and to be used in food.

Commenting on the WTO ruling, Jill Evans MEP said:

"Whenever people are asked their views on GMOs the answer is a very clear no to GM crops and huge opposition to GM in food. I am very concerned that this ruling will undermine Wales' efforts to remain GM free and I hope the European Commission is going to stand up to this bullying.

"The people of Wales have made their views well known on this subject and the National Assembly has voted to keep Wales GM-free. As far as I'm concerned the World Trade Organisation is not the right body to decide on issues such as these.

"There is massive opposition in Europe to GMOs with the vast majority of consumers saying that they don't want to eat food contaminated with GM. This opposition is growing all the time with 172 European regions and provinces now declaring themselves GM free zones, including Wales.

"We believe that it's for democratically elected politicians to make these decisions - not an unelected trade regulation body, that operates at a great distance from the reality of everyday life."

Notes

1. The draft ruling, which was delivered to EU officials this week, will not officially be made public until after the EU responds later this year. It follows nearly two years of deliberation since a group of GM-growing nations including Canada and Argentina and led by the US, lodged a formal complaint at the WTO, claiming the EU’s de facto ban on new GM crops was preventing the free trade of GM derived foodstuffs and therefore unlawful under WTO rules.

2. Some 70-80 % of European consumers do not want GMO food on their plates, and opposition to GMO foods and crops in Europe has increased since the beginning of the trade dispute in 1999.

3. There are now over 170 regions and 4,500 counties that have passed declarations to remain GMO-free.

Diwedd/End.