[E-rundbrief] Info 353 - WTO-EU GMO-Entscheidung

Mi Feb 8 12:19:09 CET 2006

E-Rundbrief - Info 353:   WTO-EU GMO-Entscheidung; Attac Österreich: 
WTO-Gentechnikurteil: Bankrott der Demokratie, Attac sieht in der 
Welthandelsorganisation keine Legitimität mehr; Friends of the Earth 
International (FOE): Ruling on EU-US biotech foods war expected, Friends of 
the Earth calls for a new world trade system.

Siehe auch E-Rundbrief Nr. 0, Info 9, 15, 16, 23, 43, 44, 54, 101, 118, 
150, 155, 177, 182, 196, 204, 208, 216, 229, 240, 247, 254, 287, 325, 352

Bad Ischl, 8.2.2006

Begegnungszentrum für aktive Gewaltlosigkeit

www.begegnungszentrum.at

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WTO-Gentechnikurteil: Bankrott der Demokratie

Attac sieht in der Welthandelsorganisation keine Legitimität mehr

Attac Österreich nimmt das Zwischenurteil der WTO im Gentechnikstreitfall 
gegen die EU zum Anlass, die Legitimität der WTO in Frage zu stellen. "Wenn 
der Freihandel wichtiger ist, als Umweltschutz, Gesundheitsvorsorge und der 
Mehrheitswille der Bevölkerung, dann läuft etwas grundfalsch", so Astrid 
Konrad, Pflanzenpatente-Expertin von Attac Österreich. "Die WTO hat alle 
bösen Vorurteile gegen sie bestätigt, sie wird von den Regierungen schamlos 
missbraucht, um Politik gegen die eigenen Bevölkerungen zu machen. Das 
Unbehagen mit der Globalisierung wächst genau durch solche Institutionen 
und Entscheidungen", so Konrad. "Die WTO dient den Entscheidungsträgern als 
Vehikel, um unpopuläre Entscheidungen an den Wahlurnen vorbei durchzusetzen 
und die Bevölkerung vor vermeintlich vollendete Tatsachen zu stellen", 
kritisiert Konrad.

Attac fordert die EU-Kommission und die Regierungschefs auf, ihren nicht 
unwesentlichen internationalen Einfluss geltend zu machen, um sich für die 
Ernährungssouveränität der Menschen einzusetzen, anstatt innerhalb der WTO 
eben jene Freihandelsagenda voranzutreiben, deren "Opfer" sie nun geworden ist

Attac kritisiert auch die Tatsache, dass der Zwischenbericht in dem 
politisch brisanten Fall nicht veröffentlicht wird. "Hier wird der 
rechtliche Präzedenzfall - das Urteil wird die GMO-Lobby zu einer Lawine 
von Folgeklagen ermuntern - dafür geschaffen, ob Milliarden von Menschen 
weltweit gentechnisch veränderte Lebensmittel aufgezwungen werden können, 
und den Betroffenen wird nicht einmal Zugang zu den Informationen gewährt. 
Dieser menschenverachtende Umgang mit unseren fundamentalsten 
Lebensinteressen wird lediglich dazu beitragen, dass der Widerstand gegen 
WTO und Gentechnik noch stärker zunimmt", ist Konrad überzeugt.

Rückfragen: Attac Österreich Astrid Konrad 0676/7204229 akonrad2003 at yahoo.com

-- 
Presse/Attac Österreich
David Walch
Margaretenstraße 166/3/25
A-1050 Wien
Tel:   +43 (0) 1   544 00 10
presse at attac.at
www.attac.at

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Ruling on EU-US biotech foods war expected

Friends of the Earth calls for a new world trade system

Brussels/Geneva, 7 February 2006 - Friends of the Earth Europe today called 
for a deep-rooted  reform of the international trade system if the World 
Trade Organisation (WTO) over-rules European Union attempts to protect its 
people and environment from genetically modified (GM) foods and crops.

In a draft ruling expected shortly on the transatlantic trade dispute over 
GM foods, the WTO will inform the countries involved whether national bans 
on GM products are a barrier to free trade and should be lifted. It is also 
likely to show whether Europe's de facto moratorium between 1998 and 2004 
on new GM foods was also a barrier to trade.

The European Commission has already today issued a memo which clearly 
exposes what is at stake. Should the world follow the de-regulation, 
business-driven approach of the US or should it follow the regulatory, 
safety-first approach of the European Union? The number of GM accidents in 
the US strongly suggests that the EU model is better to protect people and 
their environment. (1)

Alexandra Wandel, Friends of the Earth Europe's Trade Co-ordinator, said: 
"Protecting wildlife, farmers and consumers from the threat of genetically 
modified crops is far more important than enforcing free trade rules. The 
World Trade Organisation with its secretive decision-making processes is 
unfit to decide what we should eat or what farmers should grow. The WTO is 
undemocratic, and unfairly favours big business. A new global trading 
system is needed that protects people and the environment from the worst 
excesses of industry."

Adrian Bebb, GM Food Campaigner for Friends of the Earth Europe, said: 
"Opposition to genetically modified foods is likely to increase if the WTO 
decides that European safeguards should be sacrificed to benefit biotech 
corporations. Consumers worldwide will not be bullied into eating GM foods. 
European governments must stand up to the WTO and protect the food chain 
and the environment from the threat of genetically modified crops."

Friends of the Earth points out that:

  Opposition to GM foods and crops in Europe has increased since the 
beginning of the trade dispute.  There are now over 170 regions and 4,500 
smaller areas that want to be GM-free.

An alternative dispute settlement procedure is needed to solve trade and 
environmental conflicts. This could be the International Court of Justice 
or the Permanent Court of Arbitration. Additionally, the UN Biosafety 
Protocol is an international agreement already in place that deals with 
trade in GMOs.

The first ten years of GM crops have failed to deliver the benefits 
promised by the biotech industry and have played no role in tackling 
poverty and hunger (2).

An international campaign against the WTO dispute called "Bite-back - WTO: 
Hands off our food!" - is supported by 750 organisations representing some 
60 million people (see www.bite-back.org). The coalition states that the 
industry-friendly WTO is not the right place to decide what food Europeans 
should eat. (3)

The "Bite Back" citizens' objection was initiated by Friends of the Earth 
International with the support of consumer, development and farmers' 
groups, trade unions, research institutes and citizens from over 100 countries.

[1]     European Commission Press Release: 
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/61&type= 
HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

[2]  A special media briefing on the GM trade dispute is available at : 
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/GMO_and_WTO_interim_briefing_Feb2006.pdf 
as well as a fact sheet on GMOs and the WTO, see 
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/GMO_and_WTO_QA_Feb2006.pdf

En Français: Briefing pour la presse sur le conflit commercial 
transatlantique sur les aliments modifiés génétiquement: 
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/GMO_et_WTO_briefing_intermediaire_Feb200 
6_FR.pdf Les OGM en Europe et l'OMC - Questions réponses 
www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/GMO_et_WTO_QR_Feb2006_FR.pdf

FOE report: Who benefits from GM crops, January 2006-02-07 
http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2006/who_benefits_from_gm_crops_Jan_20 
06.pdf

[3]  Is the WTO the only way? Safeguarding Multilateral Environmental 
Agreements from international trade rules and settling trade and 
environment disputes outside the WTO. A briefing paper by Adelphi Consult, 
Friends of the Earth Europe and Greenpeace. Available at 
http://www.foeeurope.org/publications/2005/alternatives_wto.pdf

CONTACT: Alexandra Wandel, Friends of the Earth WTO expert, +49 172 748 3953
Adrian Bebb, Friends of the Earth GMO expert, +49 1609 490 1163

Alexandra Wandel
Trade, Environment and Sustainability (TES) Programme Co-ordinator

Friends of the Earth Europe 15, rue Blanche B-1050 Brussels- Belgium 
http://www.foeeurope.org, http://www.foei.org, http://www.bite-back.org 
http://www.s2bnetwork.org

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For the people - for the planet - for a sustainable future

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