EU will pay farmers who were affected by unauthorised GMOs in rapeseed

URL: http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/00/597|0|RAPID&lg=EN

Date accessed: 15 February 2001

IP/00/597

Brussels, 9 June 200

DN: IP/00/597

The Cereals Management Committee of the EU has approved today a European Commission's proposal to allow farmers who had to destroy colza plants containing unauthorised GMOs to receive the payments they are entitled to under existing rules for traditional area payments. This payment is not an emergency aid but a derogation from the existing rules under the arable crops support regime. The crop must be maintained under normal growth conditions until flowering or until 30 June for the farmers to receive the usual payment. Farmers can now choose to re-sow the plots of land for a new spring crop immediately or to sow later in the year for autumn cereals. In the first case farmers will not be entitled to another payment for the new sowing.

"Farmers should not suffer financially from a situation they were not responsible for", said Franz Fischler, Commissioner for Agriculture and Fishery while commenting on the decision.

Under current rules, only certain traditional rapeseed varieties, known as « 0 0 », which correspond to strict quality criteria, are eligible for payment. One of those eligible varieties, named 'Hyola' contained a small quantity of genetically modified rapeseed which was not allowed in the EU: Some producers have had therefore to destroy their colza plants as a precautionary measure and because the crop could not be marketed.

Category: 29. GMO's