Saint Louis, Missouri
January 24, 2008
The American Soybean
Association (ASA) supports the recent decision by the United
States government to give the European Union (EU) more time to
implement a science-based approval system for biotech-derived
agricultural products, but warns of dire consequences for
European livestock industries if the EU doesn’t speed up its
approval process.
"ASA supports the decision of U.S. trade officials to
temporarily suspend action to withdraw concessions for the
failures of the European Union to bring its biotech approval
process into compliance with the WTO panel ruling," said ASA
First Vice President Johnny Dodson, a soybean producer from
Halls, Tenn., who is the Chair of ASA’s Biotechnology Working
Group.
In May 2003, the United States filed a World Trade Organization
(WTO) case against the EU’s failure to implement a timely,
science-based approval system for food and feed products
enhanced through biotechnology. Numerous other countries,
including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, El
Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru and Uruguay joined
the United States in the complaint because they also want to
ensure that science-based determinations are applied to
regulatory decisions. On September 29, 2006, the WTO ruled the
EU had failed to meet its WTO obligations of implementing a
timely, science-based system for the approval of
biotech-enhanced agricultural products. The decision finalized a
preliminary WTO ruling made in February 2006.
"ASA has been in close contact with the U.S. Trade
Representative urging this course of action," Dodson said. "This
is only a temporary suspension to allow the EU to demonstrate
through action that it is making its system timely, and that
decisions are being made on the basis of science, not politics."
The continuing failure of the EU to bring its biotech approval
system into compliance not only will result in massive
retaliation on EU exports to the U.S. market, but also will
result in devastating consequences for the EU livestock and feed
industries that are dependent on imported oilseeds and
feedstuffs.
The EU’s own agriculture department (DG Agriculture) produced a
report in July 2007 that warned of the potential damage to the
EU livestock and poultry industries unless its biotech approval
process is speeded up. Numerous EU stakeholders, such as FEFAC,
the European feed association, have campaigned strongly on this
issue, pointing out the damage that could be caused if the EU is
legally barred from importing crops already approved elsewhere
but have not received European approval.
"We hope the EU will respond quickly and positively to this
latest gesture from the United States," Dodson said.
Currently, Bayer’s LibertyLink® soybean (LLS) and Monsanto's
Roundup RReady2Yield™ (RR2Y) soybean have been fully approved
for cultivation in the U.S., and are going through the EU
approval process. These soybean varieties, along with Pioneer's
Optimum® GAT® soybean (also going through the EU approval
system) are targeted for commercialization in the U.S. in the
spring of 2009.
"These three varieties are only the start," Dodson said. "Over
the next 10 years or so there are likely to be more than 20
other varieties coming forward for commercialization. To avoid
disruption of trade and resulting negative impacts on EU
livestock production, the EU and its Member States need to
provide timely and science-based approval of these soybean
events."
The EU process is at least a year behind the U.S. and many other
countries, such as China and Japan. It is an intolerable
situation that must be rectified to allow trade to continue
uninterrupted. So far, despite tremendous efforts by the
European feed industry, farmers, the biotechnology industry and
U.S. soybean growers, Europe’s politicians have yet to wake up
and see the huge crisis developing around them.
"Applications for both RR2Y and LLS in other major markets such
as Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Mexico and others either already have
been approved by regulatory authorities or are moving ahead in a
timely manner," Dodson said. "It is the EU process that is out
of step with the rest of the world, and as such, does a
disservice not only to the EU farm industry, but also to
consumers who can scarcely be blamed for being confused when the
EU’s own scientists say a product is safe, but politicians
hesitate over whether or not to agree with the scientific
assessment."
With a full pipeline of new soybean events making their way
toward commercialization over the coming years, ASA formed a
Biotech Working Group in 2007 to provide a forum for U.S.
soybean organizations to consult with biotechnology companies on
their commercialization, domestic and international regulatory
approvals status, and stewardship plans. ASA’s goals are to
bring these new soy technologies to farmers just as quickly as
possible, while at the same time safeguarding important export
markets. To gain support among industry stakeholders, ASA has
also been conducting advocacy missions to the EU to educate and
motivate key livestock, feed industry, EU and Member State
officials about the soy events now being developed.
"Some EU officials and Member States are finally beginning to
speak out publicly against the EU’s ill-functioning biotech
approval system," Dodson said. "ASA’s Biotech Working Group is
serving an important function because we are finding
stakeholders and officials that are very unaware of the issue
and its possible consequences for the European feed and
livestock industries. They have expressed appreciation for the
briefings and asked for the continued support of U.S. soybean
growers."
ASA is the policy advocate and collective voice of its 22,000
producer-members on domestic and international issues of
importance to all U.S. soybean farmers. |
|
