This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
The Bush administration has been trying to get the European Unionto accept new genetically engineered crops. The administration hastalked about bringing a case to the World Trade Organization.
Earlier this month, however, officials said the administrationhad decided not to bring a case at least for now. For one thing,they said the Iraq situation had made it harder to gather topadministration officials to discuss trade. For another, a WhiteHouse official told the New York Times that this was not a good timeto risk angering European allies.
But in recent days there have been conflicting reports about thepossibility of legal action. An Agriculture Department trade advisersaid no decision had been made.
The European Union stopped approving new genetically engineeredcrops in nineteen-ninety-eight. It does not ban imports of alreadyapproved products from the United States. However, these productsmust say that they contain “genetically modified” material.
American critics of the European policy say such products shouldnot have to be specially marked. They point to studies that showsuch crops are safe.
United States Trade Representative Robert Zoellick has arguedthat genetically engineered foods could ease starvation in Africa.Some developing countries have refused to accept such food aid. Onefear is that Europe will reject their food exports if they usegenetically engineered seed. Mister Zoellick went so far as to callthe European position “immoral” — a charge E-U officials rejected.
Public opinion is also an issue. Many Europeans do not want tobuy genetically engineered foods. Many stores will not sell them.Americans generally do not know if the foods they eat contain suchcrops.
E-U officials have expressed concern about how these crops mighteffect the environment. There are other issues as well. Geneticallyengineered seed costs more. E-U officials have questioned theprofitability.
In two-thousand-one, the European Union created new rules forapproving genetically engineered organisms. Top E-U food safety andagricultural officials say they do not oppose genetically changedproducts. They say they are only finishing a long process ofcreating rules for production and sale. E-U officials said now wouldnot be a good time for the Bush administration to try to force theissue.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter.