Please pass the below information to your contacts in order to expose the completely unacceptable methods of pro-GMO lobbying which are currently forcing GMOs on Poland

"Coalition for a GMO free Poland"

Concerning information about GMO cultivations on Polish territory and numerous misleading statements distributed by industry sponsored media, we, the undersigned, declare that: any statements concerning GMO plantings in Poland during 2007 year were referring to illegal plantings.

1. The Seed Regulation Act of  27 April  2006 Art. 57 point 3, ascertains literally that “Seed material of genetically modified crops is prohibited for turnover on the territory of Poland.”

Application of the term “turnover”, which was intentionally considered by the legislative bodies to cover “importing, distributing and handling” and also “operating with or using and applying “ - has been publicly reduced by the GMO industry’ lobbyists to the meaning of   placing on the market “ as defined in reg no 1829/2003 (placing on the market’ means the holding of food or feed / GMO/ for the purpose of sale, including offering for sale, or any other form of transfer, whether free of charge or not, and the sale, distribution and other forms of transfer themselves ).

Consequently this has created a gap in the strict prohibition legal regulation.

The above meaning promotes an erroneous interpretation which, despite the letter of the Seed Act, provides for individual farmers the “ legal” conditions to deal with and cultivate transgenic crops “for their own use.”

Meanwhile Monsanto, which controls the Polish Association of Maize Producers, together with numerous corrupted scientists, has been promoting among the corn farmers a campaign  to smuggle Mon 810 seeds into Poland as the only panaceum for the ‘corn borer’ which, surprisingly, expanded widely in recent years. (Astonishingly none of the state agencies resopnsible for agrotecnic information presented any alternative treatments against this pest.)

 2. Despite recent (2007) efforts to introduce a new Polish GMO Law initiative, which has since been rejected by the European Commission, the so called “old” GMO regulation adopted in 22 nd june 2001 ( DZ. U. Nr. 76, poz 811 ) still remains valid.

Based on the above, compulsory monitoring and registration procedures on each stage of the distribution and application chain were created in order to control GMO materials delivered to and applied on the Polish territory.

 This act also comprises rigorous procedures for internal notification and penal consequences in the case of unauthorised application of GMOs, especially in an open field application - connected with deliberate release to the environment.

According to the rules and restrictions of that bill, nobody is entitled to operate with GMO on Polish territory without prior and appropriate acceptance of the Ministry.

In Chapter 7 of above mentioned Legal Act, numerous civil and penal code responsibilities are preresquisite, including imprisonment up to 8 years for unauthoritiesd use of GMO materials.

Furthermore, following the requirements of that law, the Ministry of  Environment keeps a “Public Register of GMOs”, in which all of the written applictions placed by potential GMO operators are specified. In 2007 no permissions for any GMO materials for cultivation were issued.

Quite the contrary, the application of Monsanto Polska  of 27 February 2006 was   rejected on 10th of April 2007.

In light of the above, any cultivations of GMO plants in Poland (if indeed there were any) are illegal and as such, have no right to be shown in the “official” GMO application reports.

“The Coalition for a GMO Free Poland” is currently urging the responsible government institution to investigate the case, including the prosecution of GMO operators for their illegal practices. Poland still essentially remains a GMO free country.

‘Coalition for a GMO free Poland’ on behalf of the Steering Committee
Paweł Połanecki,  mocart@mocart.home.pl,
Julian Rose,  julian@icppc.pl

(*) In December 2007 ICPPC - International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside has taken the initiative of launching a new body "The Coalition for a GMO Free Poland."

www.polska-wolna-od-gmo.org

www.gmo.icppc.pl

19.02.2008. 15:06