GE-Free Zones Spreading in Europe

From<www.non-gmosource.com> June 2004 Issue

GMO-FREE ZONES

GM-free Europe launched Europe's largest grassroots environmental network
launched a new campaign to demand better legal protection for areas wanting
to ban genetically modified (GM) crops. Initiatives to ban GM crops are now
running in at least 22 different European countries.

Listed below are a few of those countries:

_ Austria. Eight out of the nine Austrian provinces have
indicated that they want to go GMO-free. Over 100
municipalities have also signed a GMO-free resolution. The
region of Upper Austria has passed a law making it a
GMO-free zone.

_ Belgium. Thirty-nine communities in the Flemish
and 81 communities in the French speaking part of Belgium
have declared themselves GMO-free.

_ France. More than one thousand mayors have issued
declarations of GMO-free status of their municipality. At a
regional level, three regions have issued GM-free declarations:
Alps de Haute, Aquitaine, and Limousin.

_ Germany. The Bavarian Farmers Association is advising
their members to form GMO-free farming regions.
An estimated 8,000 farmers nationwide have voluntarily
agreed not to grow GM crops.

_ Greece. Twenty-seven out of the 54 Greek prefectures
have voted to declare their area GMO-free and nine
more are in the process of doing so.

_ Ireland. The nation¹s chefs group, Euro-Toques Ireland,
has come out in favor of declaring the country GMOfree.
"In our experience people are increasingly looking
for traditionally and naturally produced foods; they simply
don't want GM products," said Ross Lewis, commissioner-
general of Euro-Toques Ireland.

_ Italy. More than 500 cities in Italy have taken a position
against the use of GMOs in agriculture. The combined
area of those communities that have already signed a resolution
against GMOs and those that recently have indicated
an intention to ban GMOs means that nearly
80% of Italy¹s territory is declared GMO-free.

_ Slovenia. The bio-region ALPE ADRIA covers the
whole area of Slovenia, the Austrian provinces of
Carinthia and Styria, and the Italian provinces of Friuli-
Venezia Giulia and Veneto. In June 2003, a joint GMO-free
statement was signed by the presidents of organic farmers
associations from these five Alpine regions. Slovenia's
agriculture minister also came out in favor of keeping the
country GM-free.

_ UK. Forty-four areas in England and 35 councils in
Wales have approved a GMOfree resolution, bringing the
total UK population living in areas with a GMO-free policy
to 14 million. _