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impactlab_2010 00208.txt

#1 Million Sign Petition to Halt Approval of GMOS Just say no to GMOS Theres a unique initiative built into the new EU constitutional treaty, called the oeeuropean citizens initiative. It allows a million or more people to join together, in the form of a petition, to ask the governing body to change legislation. And guess what the first test run for the initiatives efficacy is going to be? A petition, sponsored by Greenpeace, that asks the EU to stop approving new genetically modified foods. More than a million people have signed on to support the measure The petition asks the European commission to put a hold on all new GMO approvals, and would establish a body charged with scientifically investigating the dangers and merits of genetically modified crops. Heres Reuters: oeover a million people across Europe have set the EU a democratic test will the EU address the real concern people have about GM CROPS and food, or will it side with the chemical industry lobbyists controlling GM technology? Greenpeaces EU Director Jorgo Riss said. oeuntil safety issues of GMS are examined by independent experts, all GM authorizations should stop. Detailed rules for how the citizens initiative will work are currently being finalized by EU governments and lawmakers, and are expected not to be in force until the end of next year, at the earliest. Which means that European lawmakers are considering the million-plus signatures in the current petition as technically ineligible under the current rules, since they werent collected after the law was established. Nonetheless, the commissioner responsible for approving GMOS says that he would take a serious look at the petition. If anything the affair demonstrates the widespread animosity towards GMOS in Europe whether or not the petition ends up being deemed legally valid, it has sent indubitably a powerful message to the EUS governors and beyond. via Treehugger Share Thissubscribedel. icio. usfacebookredditstumbleupontechnorati p

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