WTO rules against EU in GM trade dispute

Tue 1st Apr 03 — admin

Anti-GM demonstrators in London

Local group members take No to GM message to London. Photo: Julian Rosser, Cardiff Friends of the Earth

Friends of the Earth Europe has called for a "root and branch" reform of the world trade system after the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruled against EU attempts to protect its people and environment from genetically modified (GM) foods and crops.

The WTO sent a draft final ruling on the trans-Atlantic trade dispute over GM foods to the countries involved: the European Union on one side, and the United States, Canada and Argentina on the other.

The draft ruling is secret but reports indicate that the WTO has ruled that:

  • National bans on GM products are a barrier to free trade and should be lifted.
  • Europe's de facto moratorium between 1998 and 2004 on new GM foods was also a barrier to trade.

Friends of the Earth Europe also criticised the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or keeping the report secret saying that it "sums up everything that is wrong with the WTO. It is secretive, biased towards business interests and should not be deciding what people eat."