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SOS-Flyer as PDF Welcome to "Save Our Seeds"
„Save Our Seeds“ (SOS) is a European initiative in favor of the purity of seeds against genetically modified organisms (GMO).Conventional and organic seeds should continue to be free of genetically modified organisms. Genetically modified organisms should not be imposed on farmers and consumers. Over 300,000 citizens and 300 organizations with more than 25 million members in all of Europe support the SOS 
petition for seed purity.
Apart from this main concern, Save Our Seeds coordinates more projects dealing with the discussion of genetic engineering, sustainable agriculture and food sovereignty – coupled with an international perspective. With its campaigns and initiatives, SOS links companies, politicians, scientists, farmers, and interested citizens; and wishes to lead a productive debate towards sustainable change.
Success: Europe Parliament for National GM cultivation ban
A big success for the GM movement in Europe: On Tuesday, July 5 the European Parliament agreed on a bill that allows Member States of the EU to prohibit the cultivation of approved GM crops on their territory. The representatives held a long meeting resulting in a majority vote led by Corinne Lepage. She won the opinion of her followers by asserting that GMOs have damaging effects on the environment, as well as on the economies of EU member states. She also promotes regional biodiversity and seed purity as better agricultural choices than herbicide resistant GM crops. More
Protest Successful: Zero Tolerance Remains
On March 18th, the Federal Council held a debate on seed purity. A bill from Lower Saxoy, Baden Württemberg, and Schlewig-Holstein was proposed to leave behind the Zero Tolerance of contamination with GMO. The bill supports a economic, practical, and technical solution to zero tolerance in seeds. Save Our Seeds, 42 organizations and companies, and 64000 signers of an action with the group Campact requested the Ministers to reject the proposal. With success, only the three bill proposers agreed to sign. More
International News
2012-05-09 | permalink
EFSA chair resigns over conflict of interest with position in food industry organisation
The European Food Safety Authority has demanded that Diána Bánáti resign as chairwoman of its management board because she is rejoining the board of the International Life Sciences Institute Europe, a research and advocacy organisation for food science. She is to become the executive and scientific director at ILSI. Bánáti was the centre of controversy in 2010 when it was revealed that while chairing the EFSA board she also held an undeclared position on the board of ILSI. José Bové, a French Green MEP, demanded her resignation from EFSA, saying that her ILSI position was in conflict with EFSA’s role approving foods in the EU, including genetically modified organisms.
European Voice, Belgium: EFSA chair resigns over conflict of interest- European Food Safety Authority, Italy (EFSA): EFSA Management Board Chair resigns
- Testbiotech, Germany: Chair of Management Board at EFSA quits because of conflict of interests
- Corporate Europe Observatory, Belgium: EFSA Chair moves to food industry lobby group
The Current Situation
The European Commission has been planning to introduce limits on the "accidental or technically unavoidable" contamination of conventional seed with genetically modified varieties for the past 7 years. In September 2004 a directive which would allow up to 0.3% GMOs in maize and oilseed rape without being labeled was supposed to be adopted. However, after fierce protests, the Commission withdrew the proposal at the last minute leaving the problem to be dealt with by the then new EU commissioners. Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for the Environment 2004-2009, did not submit any new recommendations and even publically questioned whether thresholds are either sensible or necessary. The official position of the EU Commission remains, however, that a new proposal for the specification of threshold values is in the works. The new Commissioner responsible for GMOs, John Dalli, has so far proved less critical of GM technology than his predecessor.
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