Swiss Authorities Confirm Illegal Genetech Imports

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

 Swiss Authorities Confirm Illegal Genetech Imports From Holland

Brussels, 6 March 1998 --- Swiss authorities confirmed today
that the maize shipment seized last Saturday in Basel on board
the MS Bernisse contained illegal genetically engineered maize
strains. The Swiss announcement confirms earlier claims made by
Greenpeace that the Netherlands breached European law by
allowing non-EU authorised genetically engineered products to
enter Europe. 

Following Greenpeace's activities on Saturday against the
imports into Switzerland of unauthorised genetically engineered
maize on board the MS Bernisse, the official prosecutor from
Basel, Switzerland seized on Tuesday a further shipment of US
maize glutenfeed. The shipment on board of the `Maria Elfenia'
had been loaded in Rotterdam. 

"Although the European Commission has been warning all EU
countries to be vigilant against illegal imports coming from the
US, the Dutch authorities appear to have taken few measures to
prevent this maize coming into their ports", said Marie-Jeanne
Schiffelers campaigner,  in Amsterdam.

This situation echoes  events preceeding the approval of 
Novartis Bt maize in December 1996, when over 100,000 tons of 
unapproved genetically engineered maize arrived in Europe. At
that  time ships were turned away from French ports without
unloading, one  of them sailing around at sea for a week until
the EU finally  authorised it.  

"Once again, the US is arrogantly shipping illegal transgenic 
products into Europe, aiming to pressurise the EU into approval
of a  fait accompi" said  Greenpeace EU spokesperson Louise
Gale, referring  to the March 18 meeting where the EU member
states will vote on  whether to accept these GMOs.

"This illegal genetically engineered maize should have never
entered Europe at all. The Dutch authorities should have stopped
the unloading of this cargo, and requested that it be returned
to the US under extremely secure conditions of containment."

Greenpeace is calling on Swiss and European Union authorities to
immediately send back all US-originated  maize products under
safe containment conditions to the Netherlands to enable the
final return of these illegal products to the US. The US
government has strictly opposed any demands by Europeans of
segregation of conventional crops from genetically engineered
crops. 

"Authorities across Europe should be requesting compensation
from the Dutch authorities and grain industries such as ADM and
Cargil," said Louise Gale. "The Dutch authorities are
responsibile for these risky  and unauthorised genetically
engineered products being spread across  Europe. It seems
logical for the Dutch to make sure these products  are
immediately returned to the US." 

ENDS

Greenpeace on the internet at http://www.greenpeace.org