EU Labeling Decision Blasted by Farm Bureau

July 8, 2002

Action by the European Parliament to impose strict labeling requirements on food products that contain or are derived from genetically modified (GM) ingredients, even in tiny amounts, "represents a slap in the face to American agriculture," according to the American Farm Bureau Federation.

"It appears the European Union wants to declare economic war on American agriculture," said AFBF President Bob Stallman. "The proposal threatens billions of dollars worth of U.S. farm exports," he asserted. In addition to labeling, the Parliament adopted provisions that would impose product-specific traceability requirements, which Stallman said, "would make it all but impossible to export bulk commodities to Europe."

About 75% of the world's GM crops are planted in the United States, Stallman noted. And a large percentage of major export crops, such as corn, cotton and soybeans, now come from biotech varieties, and these crops account for a large share of the United States' annual $6.3 billion worth of farm exports to the European Union.

The European proposal, Stallman charged, "clearly seeks to protect Europe's domestic products." The Parliament rejected a proposal to label meat and milk from animals that are fed biotech-derived feed, he noted.

Stallman said the proposal, which still has to be approved by EU environment ministers, "has no scientific basis" and is "far worse" that what was originally proposed. The proposal is aimed at ending a four-year moratorium on approval of biotech crops in Europe. However, the proposed threshold for labeling is twice as strict as current rules (1% versus the proposed 0.5%).

"In recent years, the European Commission, the British government, and European scientists and regulators have all said there is no scientific reason for labeling biotech products," Stallman said. "(This) action is a repudiation of careful scientific deliberation in Europe, which has generally agreed with our government's findings that these products are safe."

In response, the farm leader said his organization will be working with the Bush administration "to ensure our concerns are voiced loud and clear to the European Union and our government takes appropriate action if the European proposal is enacted."