Peter Axisa, Rabat
European Commission's GMO decision
Where does a person who has just started to warm the MEP seat get the audacity to arbitrarily make the rash decision to give the green light to allow the growing of the GM Amflora potato in the EU? What made Commissioner John Dalli decide the much debated issue that has gone on for years without anyone, in the past, taking on such a responsibility? Who has advised him into taking this decision and on what grounds can he justify the risk? His justifications as quoted in The Times certainly do not hold water.
"Mr Dalli said the variety would be cultivated only by designated growers under contract to the starch industry." How is he to guarantee that a couple of sacks will not "fall off the end of a lorry"?
He went on to say, "because potatoes reproduce through propagation rather than through pollen-transfer, the risk of spreading the genetic material to the other varieties was limited". It is news to me that potatoes are reproduced by taking cuttings from parent stock since that is what "propagation" means in the growing world! Unless another "plus point" from GM production has stopped nature's traditional method of the parent potato reproducing its offspring through the rooting system! Mr Dalli or whoever advised him also does not seem to be aware that the potato does flower and hence the risk of transferring pollen from one plant to another is still there. There again, unless GM has even done away with nature's instinct to enable pollination as a result of flowering.
"Commissioner Dalli has now steam-rolled a decision through without even holding a debate with all the commissioners." What's the big rush that does not even merit the normal process of democracy, Commissioner Dalli?
Mr Dalli said: "Any delay in taking a decision now would be unjustified." Unjustified against whom, may I ask?
Finally, is this decision, in any way, going to affect the excellent stand Malta has (so far) taken on GMOs?
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laurence schembri
Mar 7th 2010, 09:16
lgalea, John Dalli is no fool, he should`ve known better. He was a thorn in this present administration, so he had to go farming.
Dr Michael A. Riccioli
Mar 6th 2010, 17:33
Commissioner Dalli,
We do not agree with your decision. GM food is NOT safe. We don't want any Frankenstein food in Europe.
wally vella-zarb
Mar 6th 2010, 15:29
It is news to me that John Dalli is "a person who has just started to warm the MEP seat".
It is also news to me that someone at the level of a European Commissioner (NOT an MEP) issues decisions straight off his bat. They are decisions that are based on advice received from technocrats who would have already exhausted all the relevant factors during previous discussions. While one may favour one aspect over another, hence the requirement for discussion, a decision that follows such discussion does not require consensus between all the parties involved.
In this case, John Dalli was merely the spokesman who delivered the outcome of these discussions. He was not deciding on a personal whim - as is frequently done by local politicians.
lgalea
Mar 6th 2010, 14:54
Mr Axisa, have you ever heard the saying that "FOOLS RUSH IN WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD"?
Robert Callus
Mar 6th 2010, 11:44
Excellent letter Mr Axisa but I would like to add more. This irresponsible decision carries not only scientific consequences like you accurately described but political/legal ones.
Monsanto and other GMO producers didn't find it hard to penetrate the US where the only thing that talks is money. Now 90% of crops in the US are genetically modified.
The EU is harder to crack. However such decisions are slowly opening a door for such unscrupulous multinationals, failing to the defend our heath and environmental rights. These organizations will stop at nothing. The more 'weak' politicians they find, the easier their entry. I had never considered John Dalli as a 'weak' politician before this. However this decision made me lose all respect I had for Dr Dalli.