EU court upholds rights to keep honey GM free

The European Court of Justice yesterday (6 September) upheld the rights of beekeepers and consumers to keep honey free from GM contamination.

Per Fischer, Communications Officer, Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“This is a great victory for beekeepers and consumers, and it will strengthen Scotland’s opposition to GM contamination of our food.

“The ruling means that genetically modified crops would need full safety approval and would have to be labelled as GM. The ruling opens the way for Europe’s laws on GM crops to be strengthened.”

ENDS

For media enquiries, please contact: Per Fischer, Press Office, Friends of the Earth Scotland
t: 0131 243 2719

Notes to Editors

The case was forwarded to the European Court of Justice (C-442/09). The European Court of Justice was asked to rule whether honey containing GM-pollen is defined as a GM product and if any trace of a GMO in honey needs an authorisation as a GMO.

Friends of the Earth Scotland is * Scotland¹s leading environmental campaigning organisation * An independent Scottish charity with a network of thousands of supporters and active local groups across Scotland * Part of the largest grassroots environmental network in the world, uniting over 2 million supporters, 77 national member groups, and some 5,000 local activist groups – covering every continent.
www.foe-scotland.org.uk