Cyprus must remain a GMO free zone

Statement of Christina Nicholas, Head of the Environmental Bureau of the C.C. of AKEL on Genetically Modified Organisms

AKEL C.C. Press Office, 13th June 2014, Nicosia

 

The European Union Environment Council which convened yesterday in Brussels reached a political agreement for the amendment of Directive 2001/18/EC on the possibility for Member States to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) on their territory, with the agreement of the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment of Cyprus as well.

The Government chose not to heed the appeals issued neither of the House of Representatives, nor of the Environmental Movement of Cyprus or of the other parties about the impact of the cultivation of GMO’s in our country.

AKEL has for a long time sounded the alarm about the consequences of a potential cultivation of GMO’s, especially in Cyprus, which as an island is a particularly high-risk area.

The safeguard clauses that are supposedly included in the new proposal in reality do not guarantee any right of Cyprus to remain a GMO-free zone. We must stress that neither the Department of Environment, nor the relevant Ministry in Cyprus have a research centre that deals with the varieties of GMO’s and their potential impact on health and the environment.

Consequently, the question is posed to the Government and the Ministry as to what will happen when the large multinationals and prominent scientists will take Cyprus to court accusing it of obstructing their work? Wouldn’t it generally be expected that we would lose the court case because of insufficient research and technological expertise, resulting in the freeing the cultivation of GMO’s in Cyprus?

The vote in favour of such legislation reduces the State to the level of a competitor with the Companies. The sovereign right of member-states is abolished and rights are transferred to companies.