For two GMOs, Syngenta's BT 11 sweet maize and Monsanto's GA21 maize the EU is ready to propose approval as soon as possible. "It is possible that the Syngenta product could be considered by the relevant regulatory committee before the end of the year," the Commissioner for consumer protection told EU lawmakers on Thursday. However he will require consent of the regulatory committee of the member states. Byrne also defended his proposed Seed Directive to allow for GM contamination in conventional seeds by claiming there was already some GM seed contamination and the EU was too dependent on seed imports.<a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=SPEECH/03/442§0§RAPID&lg=EN" target="blank">Commissioner Byrnes distributed speech in the EP environment committee</a><br><a href="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=3546592" target="blank">Reuters: EU may start to lift GMO ban before year-end</a>

The EU Commission has pubished some questions and answers defending their proposal to establish contamination thresholds for GMOs in seeds. Also available in French, German and Italian.<a href=" http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/03/186&format=HTML&aged=0&language=DE&guiLanguage=en ">EU-Commission: Questions and Answers about GMOs in seeds</a>

The EU Council of Agricultural Minister today discusses the issue of coexistence between GM and non GM agriculture. Greenpeace this morning handed over bags of clean seeds to ministers arriving and demanded a strict purity standard for non GM seeds.</p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/eu_council_29_09_03.pdf" target = "Blank">Detailed report on the discussion in the Agricultural Council</a></p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/gp_30_09_03.pdf" target = "Blank">PR: Greenpeace requests Agriculture Ministers to save our seeds from contamination with GMOs</a></p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/gp_pics_29_09_03.pdf" target = "Blank">pictures of Ag Ministers and "Save our Seed" action</a>

Vice President José Alencar, standing in for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva who is visiting the United States, Cuba and Mexico, on Thursday signed a decree allowing for GM soy planting next season under restricted conditions. Opponents anounced they would challenge the decree in court. The decree requires labelling, liability and payment of patent fees and aims to control the illegal planting of GM soybeans in southern areas of Brazil. It also requires an environmental impact assessment and is only valid for the next planting season.</p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/brazil_law_26_09_03_en.pdf" target = "Blank">The Brazilian interim decree onplanting GM soybeans in 2003/04</a></p><p><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1049852,00.html" target = "blank">The Guardian: Brazil agrees to grow GM crops</a></p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/nyt_brazil_25_09_03.pdf" target = "Blank">NYT: Brazil to lift Ban</a></p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/brazil_law_26_09_03.pdf" target = "Blank">Text of the decree in Portuguese</a>

This was the overwhelming conclusion from a report on this year`s government-sponsored national dialogue, GM Nation - published on Wednesday.</p><p><a href="http://uk.news.yahoo.com/030924/80/e9a74.html" target="blank">Reuters: Public says "no" to GM crops</a></p><p><a href="http://zs-l.de/saveourseeds/downloads/UK_GMNation_FinalReport.pdf" target = "Blank">GM NATION the findings of the public debate, Final Report</a>

Today representatives of the European Unions member states discuss in the "Standing Committee on seeds" The Eu Commissions proposal to introduce labelling thresholds for GMOs in non-modified Seed varieties. The Committee is supposed to vote on the proposed Directive in October.</p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/directive.html">Draft Seed Directive and SOS analysis</a></p><p><a href="http://www.saveourseeds.org/downloads/gp_22_09_03.pdf" target = "blank">Greenpeace media advisory</a></p><p><a href="http://www.foeeurope.org/press/2003/GR_19_sept_seed.htm" target = "blank">Friends of the Earth press release: A recipe for desaster</a></p><p><a href="http://www.oeko.de/bereiche/gentech/newslet/english.html" target="blank">Eco-Institut special report on Seed purity</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/saveourseeds/news/semences_22_09_03.txt">Pas encore de decision sur la presence fortuite d'OGM dans les semences</a>

One day after the International Biosafety Protocol entering into force Greenpeace activists stopped a shipment of 40.000 tons of US maize at the Mexican harbor of Veracruz, not too far from Cancun.</p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/multimedia/download/1/313508/2/anchor_chain.jpg">picture from the action</a></p><p><a href="http://www.greenpeace.org.mx/php/gp.php" target = "blank">Greenpeace Mexico - en espanol</a></p><p><a href="http://www.zs-l.de/saveourseeds/news/SHIP WITH GE CONTAMINATED CORN IS ESCORTED BACK TO VERACRUZ BY MEXICAN NAVY.txt">Greenpeace press releases chronology</a>

The Agriculture Committee held a public hearing on Thursday titled "Co-existence between genetically modified crops and conventional and organic crops". The hearing was part of the ongoing debate on the difficulties of separating genetically modified organisms (GMOs) from conventional crops in food and animal feed.</p><p><a href="http://www2.europarl.eu.int/omk/sipade2?PUBREF=-//EP//TEXT+PRESS+NR-20030912-1+0+DOC+XML+V0//EN&L=EN&LEVEL=2&NAV=X&LSTDOC=N#SECTION1" target = "blank">EP News Report : 12-09-2003</a></p><p><a href="http://www.europarl.eu.int/hearings/default_en.htm" target = "blank">Presentation of the experts on Agri-Committee homepage</a></p><p><a href="http://dbs.cordis.lu/cgi-bin/srchidadb?CALLER=NHP_EN_NEWS&ACTION=D&SESSION=&RCN=EN_RCN_ID:20889" target = "Blank">CORDIS: News service</a></p><p><a href="http://www.gentechnik.gv.at/scripts/depot3/gentechnik/meldungen/20030912APA0342.txt">APA: Koexistenz von GVO und traditionellem Landbau dürfte teuer werden</a>

On Thursday 11th September the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety entered into force. It provides international rules for the transboundary movement of GMOs and enshrines the precautionary principle, including the right of countries to refuse the import of GMOs. The major GMO producer, the USA, however has not signed or ratified the treaty. The first meeting is of the parties, which are 59 states by now, is scheduled for February 23-27 2004.</p><p><a href="http://www.biodiv.org/doc/press/pk-bs-01.asp" target = "blank">Press kit of the Biosafety Secretariat</a></p><p><a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guestfr.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/03/1236%7C0%7CRAPID&lg=EN&display=" target = "blank">EU Press Release</a>

Tony Blair`s hopes of advancing the cause of GM technology are set to be dealt a significant blow because an independent commission of advisers cannot agree how to grow genetically modified plants alongside conventional varieties, writes the Financial Times. Two citizens juries meanwhile published their recommendations on the issue and called for continuation of the present moratorium.</p><p><a href="http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1059479726992" target = "blank">Financial Times: UK faces big setback over GM crop rules</a></p><p><a href="http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press.office/press.release/content.phtml?ref=1063031063" target = "Blank">Citizens Juries press releases</a>