EU TO GO AHEAD WITH GM FOOD LABELLING REQUIREMENT, WTO PAPERS SHOW – REPORT

October 3, 2002
Wall Street Journal

LONDON - Europe is set to press ahead with plans to require food companies
to label products containing genetically modified ingredients, the Wall
Street Journal reported, citing documents filed at World Trade Organization.
The US earlier this year made an informal complaint at the WTO that the
planned European labeling initiative would discriminate against farmers and
food processors in the US, where bioengineered crops are common.

The EU indicated in these documents that it will not back down from its
hard-line stance on genetically modified foods, citing "very strong evidence
that European consumers are interested to know whether their food is derived
from genetically modified organisms."

The EU called it "totally justified for labeling to provide them with this
information."

The US has threatened to make its complaint formal -- launching a trade war
-- if Europe does not scrap the labeling measure that has so far won
preliminary approval from the European Parliament.

European agriculture and environment ministers will vote on the labeling
measure in two weeks, the Journal said, adding if the ministers approve it,
the measure could become law next year.

Details of the legislation are still under discussion and people close to
the situation said it looked too close to call, it said.