FoE Press Release

Immediate Release: Sunday 29 February 2004

MPs TO REJECT GOVERNMENT GM COMMERCIALISATION PLANS

A committee of MPs is set to reject Government plans to allow GM maize to be
commercially grown, the Independent on Sunday reports today.

The newspaper says that the powerful House of Commons Audit Committee will
issue a report next week concluding that GM maize should not be given
commercial approval until new crop trials are carried out.

The previous trials of GM maize in the Government's farm scale evaluation -
which compared the wildlife impacts of the pesticide regimes used on
conventional and GM crops - are no longer relevant. This is because the
weedkiller Atrazine, used on the conventional maize crops in the trials, is
to be banned by the EU because of its environmental impact. The trials
should therefore be re-run using the less-damaging herbicide that will
replace Atrazine.  The Committee also say that the Government also needs to
learn lessons from GM contamination in North America.

Earlier this month leaked minutes revealed Government intentions to give GM
maize the commercial green light.   Doubts have also been raised that the
weed management approach used in the FSE will not be replicated if the maize
is grown commercially because farmers will want greater control over weeds
to ensure commercially viable yields [1].

Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Pete Riley said:

"The GM crop trials were deeply flawed and cannot be used to allow GM maize
to be commercially grown. The weedkiller used on conventional maize in the
tests is so damaging that it has now been banned. It's little wonder that
the GM maize was found to be less damaging in comparison. The Government
cannot go ahead with GM maize approval - there are serious doubts about the
soundness of the science."

Ends

1. Evidence of Friends of the Earth to the Environmental Audit Committee



Contact Pete Riley 07712 843210, Neil Verlander 07712 843209