Biotech Updates

Ministerial Roundtable on GMOs in European Agriculture

December 4, 2009

A Ministerial Roundtable of the Conference on GMOs in European Agriculture and Food Production was held on November 26, 2009 in the Hague, the Netherlands. Highlights of the roundtable include: 
  • Ministers and representatives stressed new challenges worldwide particularly in agriculture. Opportunities that GMOS could provide such as in increasing agricultural competitiveness, productivity and food security were expressed.
  • Support was expressed for the concept of granting Member States and/or specific regions the right to decide on cultivation of GMOs on their own territory. A suggestion was made to develop a framework that would improve the effectiveness of GMO procedures in the European Union.
  • A recommendation was made to promote independent socio-economic and agronomic impact studies of GMOs. Involvement of all affected stakeholders in the discussions was considered essential.
More details of the Ministerial Roundtable are available at http://www.gifsoja.nl/Gifsoja/nieuws/Artikelen/2009/11/25_10.500_protestmails_tegen_RTRS_aan_minster,_
protest_voor_en_in_pro-GMO_conferentie_files/main_findings_ministerial_roundtable_gmo_091126.pdf
.