Senators Urge Clinton to Push EU on Biotech

October 27, 1999

Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN) spearheaded a letter to President Clinton signed by more than two dozen senators urging Clinton to press for a European Union biotechnology approval process based on sound science. Clinton meets today with EU President Romano Prodi. Lugar also is scheduled to meet with Prodi.

"We ask that you emphasize the importance of (biotechnology) to U.S. agriculture and seek a commitment from him (Prodi) to work with the European Parliament to reactivate an EU regulatory approval process based on the principle of sound science," the senators told Clinton. "It is critically important that the EU has a functioning regulatory process that works effectively to move biotechnology approval applications forward in a timely manner and on the basis of sound scientific principles."

The senators said they hoped that Prodi at least would ensure completion in 2000 of the regulatory approval process for major corn products that already are commercialized in the United States as well as for products that have cleared the EU's scientific review process and are pending approval or will be cleared in the future.

No new varieties have been approved by the EU since April 1998, the senators added, "resulting in a de facto moratorium on new approvals." More than $200 million in U.S. corn sales to Spain and Portugal alone have been lost in each of the last two years, they added. "The lack of EU approvals also has caused a good deal of uncertainty and complications for farmers as they market corn within our country, even though the varieties involved have been fully approved by U.S. regulatory authorities."