John Dalli spoofed in anti-GMO campaign

The face of European Commissioner John Dalli has been splashed on billboards across Brussels' main streets with the slogan GMOs Coming Soon To A Table Near You, as part of a campaign by Greenpeace.

Mr Dalli has suddenly become one of the most recognised EU officials in Brussels and is sharing a billboard with Commission President José Manuel Barroso as spoof chefs cooking up genetically engineered "recipes for disaster".

The anti-GMO campaign puts a spotlight on the controversial decision Mr Dalli took soon after taking office, to authorise the introduction of a genetically modified potato in the European market.

The campaign is expected to intensify in the coming weeks with the release of a book. A petition against GMOs launched by Greenpeace has already gathered 500,000 signatures in just a month.

The billboards have been put up in the main areas of Brussels, including main roads close to the Commission headquarters in Schuman Square and underground metro stations.

Greenpeace said the Amflora decision taken by Mr Dalli went against the will of EU member states, public opinion and the advice of international medical experts, such as the World Health Organisation and the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).

"Greenpeace is disappointed that Mr Dalli's first decision on the matter disregarded the health advice of the WHO and EMEA," the worldwide environment lobby said.

Greenpeace is calling for a moratorium on the authorisation of GM crops until the current system is significantly strengthened.

The billboards are just a taste of things to come as Greenpeace turns the spotlight on the Commission and its pro-GMO agenda. According to the organisation's EU office, things will hot up next week when the GMO cookbook hits the streets.

Mr Dalli's decision lifted a 13-year ban on the Amflora GM potato and was harshly criticised by some member states, which said the decision was more in the interests of big businesses than of the environment.

Malta had also voted against the authorisation of this potato on the market.

The potato has been approved for starch production for the paper industry. It will be cultivated only by designated growers and grown in a controlled environment to limit the possibility of genetic material being transferred to other potato varieties. Mr Dalli has argued that the risk of spread is limited.