WALES CAN BE GM-FREE, SAYS MEP 9 July 2001 In the days leading up to the GM Free Wales national action day on 14 July, all-Wales Euro MP and prominent GMO campaigner Jill Evans has this week stepped up the campaign to make Wales a GM-free zone. Ms Evans, who is European Leader of Plaid Cymru, is urging all local authorities in Wales to adopt a resolution to forbid the growing of GM crops on their land and to ban GM foods from their cafeterias. She has written to local authority leaders asking them to propose the motion which is part of an international GM free zones campaign run by the Green / European Free Alliance Group to which Plaid Cymru belongs in the European Parliament. "Wales can be GM free", said Ms Evans. "The British government could ban GMOs under Article 16 of Directive 90/220 if it wanted but the political will isn’t there." She added, "Other countries in Europe and worldwide are taking a stand on this issue. Austria has in place a national GMO ban, the Basque Country in Spain has ratified a five year blanket GM moratorium, Tasmania has insisted that the Australian Federal Government allows Tasmania the choice of being GM free, Brazil has prohibited the planting of GM seeds and Thailand has set up GMO-free agricultural zones. In addition, some of the Italian regions and around 25 provinces, cities and communes have declared themselves GM-free. "New European laws from 2002 onwards allow for special GM-free areas. It is important therefore that we prepare the campaign now to lobby the government. "In the meantime, local authorities in Wales can prevent some use of GMOs by hopefully adopting the suggested resolution." The resolution calls on each local authority to: * forbid the use of council land, property or resources for the experimentation, cultivation or marketing of genetically modified crops or produce. * ensure that food provided in cafeteria and catering institutions under our jurisdiction does not contain ingredients produced by genetic engineering. * inform local farmers, food producers, food retailers and all our electors of the reasons for our decision. * promote local food products of high quality. http://www.newswales.co.uk/?F=1§ion=Environment&id=4353 News Wales - The daily Welsh news briefing http://www.newswales.co.uk/ info@newswales.co.uk