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21 March 2000
CODEX TASK FORCE MEETS ON BIOTECH FOODS
Delegates convened in Japan from 14-17 March for the first meeting of
the Codex Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Food Derived from
Biotechnology. The task force is charged with devising -- within a four-
year timeframe -- standards, guidelines, and other principles for foods
derived from biotechnology.
In advance of the meeting, a grouping of 200 organisations and
individuals accused the task force of seeking to undermine the
Biosafety Protocol. In a letter to Thomas Billy, Chair of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission and head of the US Food Safety and Inspection
Service, the grouping said that preparatory documents issued to
government delegates included a summary review of the recently
concluded Cartagena Biosafety Protocol, which "could be viewed as
preparatory to a WTO action intended to force nations to accept GMO
imports or pay penalties for lost trade revenues, contrary to the
provisions of the Protocol."
"[The Codex Alimentarius Commission's] attempt to reduce the Protocol's
text to 1 1/2 pages of explanation contains major inaccuracies related
to commodities, the Precautionary Principle, and the relationship of
the Protocol to the WTO, i.e., the precise issues which dominated the
Protocol negotiations that were finally resolved last month in
Montreal", the grouping said. Codex Alimentarius is the only
international food standards body recognised under WTO rules. Thus, its
findings could resonate in WTO trade disputes and ongoing negotiations,
precisely why the grouping called on Codex to withdraw its allegedly
inaccurate summary lest it be used in deriving standards.
The Cartagena Biosafety
Protocol agreed to in January is intended to ensure the safe transfer,
handling, use, and disposal of living modified organisms (LMOs, often
referred to as genetically modified organisms or GMOs). The Protocol
represents the first binding international agreement addressing situations
where GMOs cross national borders (see BRIDGES Weekly Trade News Digest
Vol. 4, No. 4, 1 February 2000, http://www.ictsd.org/html/weekly/story1.01-02-00.htm
).
In related news, Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said
beginning next year labels would be required from on all genetically
modified organism (GMO) foodstuffs. Groups had called for labels on all
GMO foodstuffs and for legislation protecting consumer health in
relation to GMOs. The Thai FDA said it had not yet defined terms for a
labelling regime and would have to decide such issues as what GMO
content level in a product would warrant labelling. The announcement
came as an alliance of consumer groups and non-governmental
organisations demonstrated in Bangkok calling for transparency and
caution from the Thai government in dealing with GMO foods.
"Letter charges UN's Codex Alimentarius Commission of 'undermining'
biosafety protocol," AGWEB.COM, 15 March 2000; "Labels to be introduced
by next year," BANGKOK POST, 16 March 2000.
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