A Taste of Wellness for Savoury and Snacks
Givaudan
Greenpeace was cited as saying on Wednesday that a draft EU lawto make companies pay for damaging the environment will not reduce the riskthat genetically modified organisms (GMOs) would cross-breed with naturalplants.
The story adds that whether the liability rules cover GMOs effectivelymay be crucial in persuading the EU bloc to lift an informal ban on new GMstrains that has been in place since 1998.
The proposed liability law, put forward by the European Commission, wouldforce companies damaging flora and fauna and polluting air and water torepair the damage or pay hefty fines.
EU spokeswoman Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen was quoted as telling Reuters that,"The deliberate release of GMOs into the environment is covered (by theproposals) just like any other potentially risky activity. … This (theliability plan) is an important step in the commissioner's efforts to solvethis problem."
Keen to promote its economic potential, the story says that the Commissionalso produced a separate 30-page strategy on boosting biotechnology onWednesday.
Greenpeace spokesman Lorenzo Consoli was quoted as saying, "This directiveis irresponsible. It's little better than a giant greenwash." If GM"contamination" (cross-breeding with a non-GM species) occurred, as long asthe GM crop had a permit to be used in the EU, neither the farmer nor the GMmaker could be sued. "There won't be any positive effect for GMOs," he added.