Agence France Presse
May 26, 2003

EU blasts back at Bush over biotech food

The European Commission blasted Monday as "unacceptable" a US accusation
that the European Union was starving developing countries because of its
ban on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs).

EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy made the rebuttal after US President
George W. Bush said last week that the EU's policy on biotech foods was
hindering efforts to fight famine in Africa.

"It is one thing not to have the same feeling on the level of precautions
one must take over GMOs. We feel the need for more precautions than the
Americans," he said.

But "to accuse for example the EU of starving the Third World because we
don't stuff them with GMO surpluses or to use this kind of argument, that
is clearly going much to far, that is absolutely unacceptable," he said.

Bush, who is travelling to Europe this week, scolded the EU on aid to poor
nations last Wednesday, saying the EU ban on GMOs was an obstacle to
battling widespread starvation.

"Our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have blocked all new
biocrops because of unfounded, unscientific fears," he said in a graduation
day speech to the US Coast Guard Academy.

"This has caused many African nations to avoid investing in
biotechnologies, for fear that their products will be shut out of European
markets. European governments should join -- not hinder -- the great cause
of ending hunger in Africa," he said.

Lamy said: "There are arguments... which should not be used in this kind of
debate, otherwise one crosses lines in the debate which in general are
reproved by morality."