U.S. HARDENS POSITION ON PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
March 27, 2000
FeedStuffs

Volume 27, Number 13

SALLY SCHUFF

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. delegation to a key Codex Alimentarius
committee will, according to this story, head to Paris, France, in April
armed with 27 questions it will formally raise on the European Commissionıs
proposed precautionary principle.

Ed Scarbrough, U.S. manager of Codex in Washington, was quoted as saying,
"we do have some serious concerns; at the same time, we would like to engage
in constructive diaglogue."

Quite pointedly, the story says the U.S. paper asks the European Commission
to answer the question: "Can the commissionıs proposed precautionary
principle be triggered without the identification of a hazard?"
Many opponents believe Europeıs advocacy of the precautionary principle is
little more than an attempt to erect a trade barrier to imports of U.S.
genetically modified crops and other food imports. Opponents also believe
adoption of the principle could derail science-based risk assessment as the
international standard for trade rules. International rules under the World
Trade Organizationıs (WTO) Sanitary-Phytosanitary Agreement are based on
scientific standards set by Codex.

The U.S.  Codex website is www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/codex/. The document on the
precautionary principle can be found at
www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/codex/confpaper.htm.