GMO Act: Polish parliament debate
Dear Friends,
Thanks to your superb support, which, in combination with Polish efforts, led to more than 40 parliamentarians raising critical questions about the planned new GMO Act during the parliamentary reading and debate on 16th December. This was enough to force the debate to be prolonged into February 2010. At that point it will have to go through both the agricultural and environment committees, both of which will have to ratify the act for it to become law.
While we have not achieved ‘a ban’, what has emerged is a stalling of the government’s intentions. This will buy us a little more time to try and persuade members of the agricultural and environment committies to think again – and to take the ‘precautionary’ route – via introducing a ban of the GM maize MON 810 and ensuring that Poland is not subjected to a dysfunctional Act of Parliament that would allow ‘special zones’ for planting GM crops and ‘co-existence’ between GM and non GM crops.
Parliamentarians complained that they had received hundreds of emails on this subject that jammed their computers. This is a great endorsement of everyone’s efforts – East and West of the Channel! Hope springs eternal…
We will be back to you again in the New Year for the next round.
A very Happy Christmas to all – and a GMO Free New Year!
Julian and Jadwiga