Mr. José Manuel Barroso
President of the European Commission
1049 Brussels,
Belgium
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/president/contact/mail/index_en.htm(link is external)
Mr. Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the European Parliament
European Parliament
GOL03A012
L-2929 LUXEMBOURG
https://www.secure.europarl.europa.eu/parliament/public/citizensMail/secured/cmRequest.do?cmLanguage=en(link is external)
Mr. Gordon Brown
The Prime Minister,
10 Downing Street,
London SW1 2AA
UK
http://www.number10.gov.uk/footer/contact-us(link is external)
Recent reports made in The Independent (27.10.2008) have given us grave concern with regard to plans to advance Genetic Modified crops and cultivation. Although the precise claims made in this report must be substantiated, it is a fact that until now the European Union has shown favour by various means to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO). A typical example is the inadequate labeling of GMO products which is neither properly observed nor enforced.
Today we are living a multifaceted ecological and economic crisis. This situation is directly correlated to man’s weakness in learning from past mistakes. We should take extreme care in making decisions which will determine the fortune of the planet and of generations to come. Both climate change and the current economic crisis are sorry examples of this contemptuous stance.
To advocate the use of GMO would be yet another false move. In the final analysis GMO serves the speculative interests, despite the fine rhetoric, of a few companies. Yet you observe the will of these few companies and not that of the millions of consumers who are against GMO, who do not want it imposed on their lives. Genetically Modified Crops do not even constitute a solution to the problem of feeding the planet. It is proven that the key issue here is not one of production but of distribution and management. As for the supposed better “protection” that they offer in comparison to conventional cultivation, it must be stressed that we choose to practice methods of genuine benefit to both man and the environment - the two must not be separated. Furthermore a host of research results have fully proven the adverse effects of GM varieties on the environment. In addition the acceptance of GMO for cultivation is a direct contradiction to the growth of organic farming.
Mr. President,
We would never wish to see a repeat of phenomena such as the “miraculous” insecticide DDT, whose traces are still, after decades, found in areas where it was never used such as the North Pole. Nor a repeat of the decisions which led to the mad cow crisis, causing not only the loss of human lives but huge economic losses for the Community.
We call upon your human sensibility to guide the use of powers, entrusted to you by the people of the EU, to protect them, the environment and the European economy from both the known and unknown dangers of GMO for agricultural purposes. This will only come about by the prohibition of their cultivation and the import of agricultural products that contain them. If the above argument has not convinced you then we ask you to put this to the citizens of the EU by referendum.
Yours Sincerely,
Mr. Hans-Gert Pöttering
President of the European Parliament
Recent reports made in The Independent (27.10.2008) have given us grave concern with regard to plans to advance Genetic Modified crops and cultivation. Although the precise claims made in this report must be substantiated, it is a fact that until now the European Union has shown favour by various means to Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO).
Today we are living a multifaceted ecological and economic crisis. This situation is directly correlated to man’s weakness in learning from past mistakes. To advocate the use of GMO would be yet another false move. In the final analysis GMO serves the speculative interests, despite the fine rhetoric, of a few companies. Yet you observe the will of these few companies and not that of the millions of consumers who are against GMO, who do not want it imposed on their lives. Genetically Modified Crops do not even constitute a solution to the problem of feeding the planet. As for the supposed better “protection” that they offer in comparison to conventional cultivation, it must be stressed that we choose to practice methods of genuine benefit to both man and the environment. Furthermore a host of research results have fully proven the adverse effects of GM varieties on the environment. In addition the acceptance of GMO for cultivation is a direct contradiction to the growth of organic farming.
We would never wish to see a repeat of phenomena such as the “miraculous” insecticide DDT, whose traces are still, after decades, found in areas where it was never used. Nor a repeat of the decisions which led to the mad cow crisis.
We call upon your human sensibility to guide the use of powers, entrusted to you by the people of the EU, to protect them, the environment and the European economy from both the known and unknown dangers of GMO for agricultural purposes. This will only come about by the prohibition of their cultivation and the import of agricultural products that contain them. If the above argument has not convinced you then we ask you to put this to the citizens of the EU by referendum.
Yours Sincerely,