Charlie,
Things may get worse... before they get better!
'BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — FEFAC President Patrick Vanden Avenne on July 16 described the new European Commission proposal on GM cultivation as a proactive attempt to move out of the present political "deadlock" regarding the implementation of the E.U. genetically modified (GM) legislation.
However, he said that the commission proposal "may further exacerbate feed supply problems to E.U. livestock farmers due to the E.U.’s high dependence on vital protein feed imports. This will further erode their competiveness ultimately leading to the export of E.U. livestock sector."
He said the E.U. compound feed and premix industry has an urgent need for a clear, practical "technical solution" regarding trace levels of risk-assessed GM crops not yet authorized in Europe, as first requested by the College of Commissioners in May 2008.
"E.U. livestock farmers and feed manufacturers already paid a very high price due to the absence of practical threshold levels," he said. "The new proposal may actually further increase legal uncertainties for feed manufacturers and distortion of competition among E.U. livestock farmers."
Vanden Avenne said he hopes that the European Commission will seriously take the request of all E.U. food and feed chain partners to rapidly adopt the "technical solution," while taking safeguard measures to avoid an implosion of the internal market for seed, feed and food, which may result from uncoordinated actions of member states against which operators can take no coverage.'
Things may get worse... before they get better!
'BRUSSELS, BELGIUM — FEFAC President Patrick Vanden Avenne on July 16 described the new European Commission proposal on GM cultivation as a proactive attempt to move out of the present political "deadlock" regarding the implementation of the E.U. genetically modified (GM) legislation.
However, he said that the commission proposal "may further exacerbate feed supply problems to E.U. livestock farmers due to the E.U.’s high dependence on vital protein feed imports. This will further erode their competiveness ultimately leading to the export of E.U. livestock sector."
He said the E.U. compound feed and premix industry has an urgent need for a clear, practical "technical solution" regarding trace levels of risk-assessed GM crops not yet authorized in Europe, as first requested by the College of Commissioners in May 2008.
"E.U. livestock farmers and feed manufacturers already paid a very high price due to the absence of practical threshold levels," he said. "The new proposal may actually further increase legal uncertainties for feed manufacturers and distortion of competition among E.U. livestock farmers."
Vanden Avenne said he hopes that the European Commission will seriously take the request of all E.U. food and feed chain partners to rapidly adopt the "technical solution," while taking safeguard measures to avoid an implosion of the internal market for seed, feed and food, which may result from uncoordinated actions of member states against which operators can take no coverage.'