OTTAWA, ONTARIO, May 13, 2003 – The Council of Canadians strongly condemns the Canadian government’s decision to support the United States’ challenge of the European Union’s moratorium on the import of genetically engineered (GE) foods. In the Council’s view, this action is a blatant disrespect of the democratic will of European citizens, who repeatedly expressed their opposition to GE foods.

“This action is an embarrassment for Canadians,” says Nadège Adam, campaigner for the Council of Canadians. “Not only does this government refuse to label genetically engineered products in Canada - it now wants to impose these foods on the rest of the world.”

In response to consumer pressure, European governments instituted a moratorium on GE food imports. Not convinced of the safety of genetically engineered foods and seeing no need for this technology, Europeans have demanded that their food supply not be compromised until proof is shown that these products are safe for public consumption. Unlike the Canadian government, EU officials decided to honour that demand and have been harassed by Canada and the United States ever since.

“When will this government understand that people around the world simply do not want to eat GE foods and that a policy of forcing these foods down everyone’s throat is not only foolish and unsustainable, it also flies in the face of a person’s fundamental right to choose what they want to eat.

“We hope that Europeans understand that though this government claims to be taking this course of action in the name of Canadians, this is actually being done in the name of the biotech industry which has always been able to rely on this government to fight their battles,” adds Adam.

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