GREENPEACE CALLS ON EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS TO JOIN IN AUSTRIA'S BAN ON GENETICALLY ENGINEERED MAIZE

AMSTERDAM, FEBRUARY 6TH 1997

Two days after the French Government announced their decision to go ahead with the import, growth and use of genetically engineered Bt maize, Austria has banned the maize from coming into their country.

The French decision opens the door for Ciba Geigy's (now Novartis) Bt maize to flood into Europe. It could lead to the first genetically engineered crop being grown commercially on European soil.

Since France made the original proposal for the maize to be accepted by the EU, it was necessary for France to authorise the crop before it became legal in any part of Europe.

Now Austria, for the first time in Europe, has used Article 16 of the European Directive which governs the release of genetically engineered organisms into the environment to block the maize in their country. Austria has stated that it does not believe the health and environmental risks of the Bt maize were properly considered by the European Commission when they granted approval to the maize on January 23rd.

Now Greenpeace is calling on other European member states to use Article 16 and ban the maize.

"We are convinced that neither consumers nor farmers are keen to run into any more problems caused by unnatural animal feed. This crop should never have been authorised. Now its up to national Governments to keep it out of our countryside, and out of our food." said Michelle Sheather.

Before the maize can be grown on European soil France has to formally register the Bt maize in its list of approved varieties for agricultural use. This then allows Ciba Geigy to sell seeds for planting.

"Growing this maize will put Europe's entire farming industry at risk, as well as the wider environment. France must listen to its European neighbours, and its own citizens' concerns, block planting of this genetically engineered seed and protect our farmland and countryside from irreversible damage."

Thirteen countries in the EU have expressed concerns about the maize, which carries an antibiotic resistance gene. It's feared that this could spread to harmful bacteria - in the gut of animals fed on the maize, for instance - rending the important antibiotic ampicillin ineffective in treatment of bacteria related disease. The Bt maize also produces its own pesticide - Bacillus thurigensis (Bt). It is likely to trigger Bt resistance in insects thereby making the natural occuring Bt toxin, widely used by organic farmers, completely useless as a natural pesticide.

The European Commission does not question that this is likely but simply states "a potential develoment of insect resistance to the Bt toxin cannot be considered an adverse environmental effect."

" Such arrogance completely undermines any attempts to cut down on toxic chemicals in the environment by farming in a sustainable way."

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Michelle Sheather - Greenpeace International +31 (20) 523 6279

OR

Isabelle Meister - Greenpeace International + 31 20 52 36 213.

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