Seeds of doubt over GM

Tuesday March 18, 2003
The Guardian

Margaret Beckett (Letters, March 17) misunderstands both the issues at 
stake and the European process for licensing the marketing of GM crops. 
It is not whether crops are grown commercially before the public debate 
starts that is under question (no one has suggested this is possible), 
but whether decisions will be taken about future marketing and growing 
before the debate is finished.

The UK's position on the 18 proposals to be considered in Europe should 
be informed by the outcome of the forthcoming public debate. Unless the 
UK delays assessment of these applications or seeks our exclusion from 
the area covered the debate becomes a spurious exercise, as the Scottish 
executive and Welsh assembly have recognised. All the proposals will be 
considered by the UK (there is no "ours" or "theirs" as Mrs Beckett 
suggests - one member state leads but all particpate in the final 
decision) and several could allow GM crops to be grown here. They are 
all revised applications under the new directive - that they had been 
submitted under the previous directive is irrelevant. Unless the 
environment secretary recognises the significance of these decisions and 
the UK's role in them, all confidence that the government will behave 
impartially will evaporate.
Dr Sue Mayer
GeneWatch UK
sue.mayer@genewatch.org

Margaret Beckett says there is no intention to authorise commercial 
growing of GM crops in the UK before the public debate is "under way". 
Why not before it is concluded? Given her comments we need to know the 
purpose of the government-instigated debate. And everyone intending to 
take part needs to know how their opinions will be evaluated and what 
effect they will have on policy.
Sue Miller
Lib Dem Lords environment spokeswoman