GMO-free europe

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National: Since 1999, Austria banned GM maize and rape seed by invoking Directive 90/220, Article 16. The EU Commission has tried to overrule this Austrian "Ordinance on Genetically Modified Seed", but EU member states backed the ban, so that Austria remains a GMO-free zone.
Regional: All 9 Austrian Bundesländer (regions) have declared their intention to remain GMO-free, making Austria the third GMO-free country in the EU (as well as Greece and Poland).
Municipalities: More then 100 municipalities have signed resolutions to stay GMO-free.

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Details about the Regions

Upper Austria: The region of Upper Austria has passed a bill banning GMOs in agriculture and animal breeding. The bill was submitted to the EU Commission for approval, but the Commission rejected the bill citing a opinion by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Upper Austria has appealed against the decision.

Carinthia and Salzburg: On October 1st 2004 the Salzburg Biotech Precautionary Law came into force, on February 1st 2005 a similar law in Carinthia. The laws do not contain a general ban on GMOs, but the regional government can forbid the release of GMOs if there is a danger of contamination of the neighboring fields.

Vienna: On November 25th 2005 Vienna notified the EU Commission of their Biotech Precautionary law, which is based on the Salzburg law.

Lower Austria, Burgenland, Styria, Tyrol: These Bundeslaender have also passed similar Biotech Precautionary laws that have largely already come into force.

Vorarlberg: Vorarlberg is the only Bundesland that has not yet passed a special GMO law, but it's Nature protection law contains the possibility to forbid GMO planting where a impairment of the environment is feared. Vorarlberg has furthermore expressed it's political will to stay GMO-free and it has joined the GMO-free Bodensee initiative.

Upper Austria, Salzburg, Burgenland, Styria, Carinthia, Tyrol, Lower Austria are part of the European network of regions seeking to restrict or outlaw agricultural biotechnology without breaching EU regulations.
The regions of Carinthia and Styria are also part of the ALPE ADRIA Bio region (for details see Slovenia).

Deatils about the ban

In four cases, namely the placing on the market of GM maize by three companies as well as the placing on the market of GM oilseed rape, Austria has issued a ban for the import of these products into Austria. The measures were taken in accordance with Article 16 of Directive 90/220/EEC respectively Article 23 of Directive 2001/18/EG and led to the publication of four ordinances dealing with this subject.

Contact

Global 2000
Jens Karg
phone: 0043 - 1 812 57 30
email: Jens.Karg@global2000.at
url: www.global2000.at