January 24, 2005
By Robert Derham,
Checkbiotech
The much contested Alemmano GMO
decree was passed by Italy’s Lower House with amendments, which
would make it more difficult for genetically modified crops to
be grown in Italy.
With the passage of the Alemmano
GMO decree, the Italian Lower House has found a loop-hole in the
EU legislation that will allow Italy to inplement its own policy
on the grounds of co-existance of transgenic, conventional and
organic crops. The EU has been slowly opening the doors to GM
crops, and has asked its member states to do the same.
However, Italy has several regions that have banned together to
block the sale and use of genetically engineered crops.
Early in November, Italy moved to open its doors to GM crops,
while granting the authority to regional areas to implement
their own bans or open-door policy.
Italy is not the only dissenting EU member state. It is joined
by France and Austria who lead a coalition of EU member states
that oppose opening the doors to genetically engineered crops.
While Holland, Spain and the UK have voiced a more open-door
policy to GMOs.
Ermete Realacci, of the Italian Margherita party, is pleased
with the modifications to the Alemanno GMO decree and its
subsequent approval in the Lower House.
"This time the quality lobby won. The one that cares about the
quality of Italy's produce and is not convinced that our country
can compete with other countries with GMO corn."
"We hope that the senate will approve the decree swiftly. Our
agriculture, the growers and the citizens need precise rules
which guarantee freedom of choice which is our only chance to
give our produce a place on the world market," Realacci told
AGI. |