GMO-free labelling of food products
a way to increase GMO-free supplies for animal feed?
DOCUMENTATION
- Anne Patault - Pour une agriculture sans OGM
- Bernhard Stoll - Gentechnikfrei aus Prinzip
- Dr Eva Claudia Lang - GM-free labelling regime in Austria
- Rita Andorko - Hungarian views on GM free labelling
- Elta Smith - GM(O)-free labelling in the EU - comparison of existing schemes
The Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament invites you to a conference on "How GMO-free labelling of food products can contribute to increase GMO-free supplies for animal feed", co-hosted by MEPs José Bové, Jill Evans and Bart Staes.
The conference will look at whether voluntary GMO-free labelling of food products can contribute to increase GMO-free supplies for animal feed, and under which conditions.
Food products that contain GMOs must be labelled in the EU. But this obligation has not been imposed on animal products from animals that have been fed with GMOs.
The consequence of this legal vacuum is that the food industry imports millions of tonnes of GMOs to feed EU animals without any information to the consumers. Besides, producers that do not want to use GMO feed, but are still dependent on soybean or maize imports, find it increasingly difficult and expensive to get GMO-free feed. For consumers' to have a real choice to avoid GMOs in their food, it is imperative to ensure sufficient availability of GMO-free supplies.
For a few years now, some Member States (Austria, France, Germany) have taken legislative steps to allow for GMO-free labelling, and some companies have begun labelling animal products.
During the conference, we will share some GMO-free producers' experiences, technical difficulties and results. We will also discuss the different EU laws on GMO-free labelling and how they are consistent. And look at the ways to speed up adoption of meaningful GMO-free labels in all EU countries.
The conference programme will include 2 panels:
- Panel 1: GMO-free labelling: producers and consumers' perspectives, with panellists from the food chain.
- Panel 2: GMO-free « regulators »: "How to encourage EU countries to adopt meaningful labelling measures?" with panellists from EU Member States regulatory authorities.
Full Programme
15:00
Introduction: GMO-Free labelling: Respect the right to choose of the consumers
Jill Evans MEP
15:15 - 16:45
PANEL 1: GMO-free labelling: producers and consumers' perspective. Experiences of GMO-free labelling in Austria, France, Germany and other EU countries: testimonies of producers on their successes, technical difficulties.
Moderation: Jill Evans MEP
Speakers:
- Jérôme Bédier, Secrétaire Général, Carrefour; France.
- Johannes Hegenberger, Milk Purchasing Department,, Zott, Germany
- Bernhard Stoll, CEO, Raiffeisen Kraftfutterwerk Kehl GmbH, Germany
- Ivo Mechels, Test-Achats, Belgium, member of BEUC
Debate with the audience
16:45
Coffee Break
17:00 – 18:15
PANEL 2: GMO-free « regulators »: how to encourage EU countries to adopt meaningful labelling measures?
1) State of play and perspectives
Speaker:
- Bart Staes, MEP
2) Comparison and compatibility of the existing national laws
Speaker:
- Elta Smith, managing consultant, ICF GHK, London. Project manager for the DG SANCO ‘Study to assess existing GM-free labelling schemes in the EU and the need for harmonisation’
3) EC perspective
Speaker:
- Ladislav Miko, European Commission
4) Perspectives for improvement
Moderation: Bart Staes
Speakers:
- Eva-Claudia Lang, Austria, head of GMO section in the ministry of health and Austrian representative in SCFCAH
- Rita Andorkó, Hungary, GMO expert at the ministry of rural development and Hungarian representative in SCFCAH
- Andrzej Hałasiewicz, Poland, Expert for Rural Development in the Chancellery of the President
- Anne Patault, Vice-President of the region of Bretagne, France
18:15
Conclusions and Perspectives
Speaker:
- José Bové, MEP
