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Tuesday 21st May 2002
For Immediate Release: Wednesday 22nd May 2002
PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO CHALLENGE GM CROPS UNDER THREAT
The Government is planning to change
the law to make it more difficult for the public to object to the commercial
development of genetically modified (GM) crops, according to a confidential
note leaked to Friends of the Earth UK.
The note headlined "Draft Submission on Representation
and Hearings" follows the public hearings now underway into the listing of the
GM maize variety "CHARDON LL". The hearings are being held because lawyers for
Friends of the Earth discovered the public's right to demand them under the
"Seeds (National List of Varieties) Regulations".
More than 200 individuals and groups have already objected to the listing of CHARDON LL.
But the Department of Environment, Farming and Rural
Affairs (DEFRA) is now planning to change the law to prevent objectors from
raising GM safety issues at public hearings. The change could be made before
Ministers have to decide on the listing of SHERIDAN (another GM forage maize),
due around October 2002. The listing procedure is the only point in the commercial
development of GM crops where the public has a legal right to raise key safety
issues and other objections.
The DEFRA note admits that "any proposals to remove GM safety issues from
the scope of National List representations and hearings will be criticised
because it will seem that we are trying to silence GM objectors. However,
we believe that an effective presentation strategy can be prepared in advance.
A fully fledged presentation strategy will be prepared in consultation with
the Communications Directorate, for clearance with Ministers."
DEFRA has decided to:
- "Take administrative action to exclude from the hearings
any consideration which are the responsibility of other bodies and subject to
other legislative controls (e.g. GM safety - ACRE, Novel foods - ACNFP).
- Give statutory effect to the above by amending the regulations so that any
'person affected' may make representations and be heard, but only on matters
relevant to the criteria for National Listing."
Birmingham Friends of the Earth campaigner James Botham said:
"It seems that the Government is hell bent on removing the general public's right to raise objections to and concerns over the commercial development of GM crops. "
ENDS