- (Press Association) -- The Government plans to back EU
rules which would give the green light to the commercial growing of genetically
modified crops, according to reports.
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- A leaked exchange of ministerial letters demonstrated
that ministers will support Brussels moves to ban GM-free zones and allow
the "co-existence" of GM with conventional crops.
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- The correspondence, detailed in The Sunday Times, comes
ahead of the publication next month of the long-awaited results of GM crop
trials in Britain.
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- A September 5 letter from Environment Secretary Margaret
Beckett to Cabinet colleagues indicated that she will support EU proposals
at a meeting of EU agriculture ministers at the end of the month.
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- She wrote: "I am proposing that we broadly support
the (European) Commission's guidelines as providing a reasonable basis
to address the issue."
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- She attached a summary of the EU rules, which state that
"no form of agriculture (conventional, organic, GM) should be excluded
from the EU."
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- The letter adds: "Co-existence measures should be
developed and implemented by member states because farming patterns across
the EU are so diverse."
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- In reply, Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt
stated: "I agree that our interests are best served by giving broad
support to the Commission guidelines. We must also bear in mind the potential
impact (on) EU-US relations."
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- A five-year moratorium by the EU on GM crops, which expires
this year, has resulted in friction between the EU and US, where GM technology
has been pioneered.
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- A Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
spokesman declined to comment on the leaked correspondence.
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- http://www.guardian.co.uk/uklatest/story/0,1271,-3172019,00.html
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