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Take action for a GMO-free Europe

Greenpeace activists dress as mice protesting at the risks to health and the environment from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) outside the Council of Ministers building in Brussels where Environment Ministers are discussing EU policy on GMOs.

Monsanto GMOs unsafe, official study shows.

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An explosive study published by the Austrian government, on Tuesday November 11, identified serious health threats of genetically engineered (GE) crops. Mice fed with GE maize were severely impaired in their fertility, and produced fewer children than mice fed with natural crops. This study shows how little we know about GM products and their long-term impacts on our health and the environment. It also shows how flawed the current EU risk assessment system is.

EU GMO campaign success!

Thanks to the amazing support of Greenpeace members and other environmentalists, we managed to prevent pro-GMO countries from wrecking an important December 2008 EU environment ministers' meeting on Genetically Modified Organisms and food safety. Over 70,000 messages were sent to EU politicians, including over 3,000 sent directly in the last 48 hours to the UK and German ministers.

EU member states sent a clear signal to the European Commission that we need to improve the way risks from GM crops are assessed -- risks to the environment, to our health and to the lives of millions of farmers.

In a nutshell, EU environment ministers have agreed:

  • The long-term effects of GMOs on the environment, living organisms and health need to be assessed.
  • There should be independent scientific research on GMOs, and access to information that is currently kept secret by agro-biotech companies.
  • The European Food Safety Authority should consider the environmental impact of herbicides spread over GM crops. They also said that pesticide-producing GM crops should be treated in the same way as chemical pesticides.
  • Regions and local communities have a right to establish GM-free zones.

Unfortunately though, we didn't get everything we wanted from this meeting. The text is generally good, but we need to continue campaigning for it to be implemented and the wrong bits made right.

For now, please show some solidarity for the campaign in Australia to introduce labelling and testing laws there for GM food.

Thank you for your support! Eat well this holiday season, and stay tuned for more GE campaign opportunities in 2009.