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Motion for a recommendation | Doc. 12233 | 28 April 2010

Right of member states to cultivate or not to cultivate genetically modified crops

Signatories: Mr Latchezar TOSHEV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr József BERÉNYI, Slovak Republic ; Mr Márton BRAUN, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Kirtcho DIMITROV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Renato FARINA, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Olha HERASYM'YUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Ms Flora KADRIU, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Elvira KOVÁCS, Serbia, EPP/CD ; Mr Silver MEIKAR, Estonia, ALDE ; Mr Krasimir MINCHEV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Ms Elsa PAPADIMITRIOU, Greece, EPP/CD ; Ms Marija PEJČINOVIĆ-BURIĆ, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Ms Lajla PERNASKA, Albania, EPP/CD ; Mr Zoran PETRESKI, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', EPP/CD ; Mr Petar PETROV, Bulgaria, EPP/CD ; Mr Christos POURGOURIDES, Cyprus, EPP/CD ; Mr Andrea RIGONI, Italy, ALDE ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD ; Mr Luigi VITALI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Mr Konstantinos VRETTOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe:

reaffirming its position expressed in its Resolution 1419 (2005), its Recommendation 1468 (2000) and its Recommendation 934 (1982) on genetically modified organisms (GMOs);

taking into account the scientific uncertainty about the consequences of horizontal transfer of genetic material from GMO crops by viruses, including marker genes for antibiotic resistance contained in most GMOs;

stressing that much new scientific research should be done to clarify the impact of possible transfer of genes from GMO crops to other organisms including human beings or in bacteria living in them and the possible ways to prevent this happening;

putting under serious doubt the possibility to guarantee the coexistence of GMO and non-GMO crops in agriculture fields in the same area;

underlining that the protection of biodiversity, especially in the natural protected areas, from horizontal transfer of genes from GMO crops should be guaranteed as the highest priority;

Recommends the Committee of Ministers to:

  • adopt the regulations necessary to guarantee the right of every state to have the freedom to decide to cultivate or not to cultivate GMO crops and to establish GMO-free zones;
  • communicate its decision to the European Union in line with the harmonisation of its policy in view of the forthcoming adoption of the amendment to Directive 2001 /18/EC;
  • adopt regulations on a total ban for the cultivation of GMO crops which contain marker genes for antibiotic resistance;
  • promote large-scale scientific research on the problems of horizontal transfer of genes from GMOs to other crops, to other organisms including human beings and to bacteria living in them, as well as to search for opportunities to prevent such transfers and to report to the Assembly about the measures taken in this respect.