Britain weighs liability regime for gene crops
Date: 13-Feb-03
Country: UK
Britain will decide later this year on commercial use of gene-spliced crops after a three-year field trial designed to look at the environmental impact of such plants, but Meacher said all farmers' economic interests had to be considered.
Environmentalists say GM crops will contaminate traditional varieties and change the countryside, while some scientists argue that they could solve world hunger.
"Our approach to GM must be compatible with the government's ambitions for the expansion of organic farming to increase the UK's market share of organic produce sold in the UK from 30 percent to 70 percent," he told delegates at a conference in London.
Britain already has legislation in place covering environmental damage via cross contamination, and the European Commission has also issued proposals for a GM crop environmental liability regime.
"We are looking urgently to see whether in advance of the European environmental liability directive...wheher we in the meantime do need a domestic liability position," he said.
Meacher said no conclusions had been reached on the technology.
"The government has not taken a view on the commercialisation of GM crops. If the farm-scale evaluation results suggest that the crops in question will have a negative environmental impact, then we will oppose their commercialisation in the EU," he said.
The final results of the GM trials will be published mid-year.
