ACRE (advisory committee on releases to the environment) has given a tentative go ahead for the commercial growing of GM maize in the UK, but has advised against the commercialisation of GM beet and oil seed rape.
Bayer CropScience's Chardon LL maize now just needs to be added to the UK national seed list and a change to UK pesticide law before it can be grown commercially.

see below for corporate media coverage and NGO reaction



1. Greenpeace press release

Commenting on the publication of ACRE's advice to the Government on GM crops, Greenpeace campaigner Sarah North said:

"This is bad for farmers, bad for the organic food industry and bad for our countryside. Experience in America shows that planting GM maize leads to huge increases in pesticide use.

"The only reason GM maize got through the British tests was because its effect on the environment was compared to a pesticide which is so toxic it's now been banned. Giving it the all-clear is like recommending a holiday in Baghdad because it might be safer than Chechnya.

"The ACRE advice is highly irresponsible."

ENDS

For more contact Greenpeace on +44 207 865 8255 / +44 7801 212967

Notes:

1) The farm scale trials did not test the impact that GM crops had on the environment. They tested the impacts on the environment of the herbicide use associated with GM crops. Last October, the results from these four year tests indicated that the weed management associated with two of the crops (oil seed rape and sugar beet) had a more detrimentral effect on wildlife that the management of regular crops.

The results for the third crop, maize, may be deemed invalid since it was assessed in relation to a herbicide called Atrazine, which has since been banned throughout Europe and because real-world experience in the US does not support the herbicide regimes used in the FSEs.

2) At present three EU Member States (Belguim, Germany and Denmark) have been approached by biotechnology companies to judge whether specific GM crops can be given approval for commercial use throughout Europe.

3) The crops under consideration are the same ones (oil seed rape and sugar beet) which recently performed poorly in the UK farm scale trials.

4) Member States are required to take into account all available evidence when they are making decisions regarding commercialising GM crops, including that raised by the UK farm scale trials, hence the anticipated interest in ACRE's interpretation of this data.
---
2. GeneWatch UK PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE USE 13th January 2003

BIOTECH COMPANIES SHOULD WITHDRAW GM CROP APPLICATIONS:

GeneWatch UK response to ACRE advice on farm-scale evaluations of GM herbicide-tolerant crops

Today, the Government's scientific advisors on GM crops confirmed that if GM herbicide tolerant oilseed rape or sugar beet were grown commercially in Britain, farmland wildlife is likely to suffer (1).

"It is quite clear that if we grow GM herbicide tolerant oilseed rape and sugar beet in Britain our farmland wildlife will be put under greater threat" said Dr Sue Mayer, GeneWatch UK's Director. "Before the results of these trials were in, the biotech
companies had applied to grow these crops in Europe. They should now withdraw those applications and not proceed with such a damaging application of the technology. If they go ahead it will show how little respect they have for the
environment".

ACRE said the GM herbicide tolerant maize used with the herbicide, Liberty, was less harmful to wildlife than if maize is grown conventionally - when atrazine is usually used. However, atrazine is to be withdrawn from the market, making the findings difficult to interpret.

"There should be no rush to commercialise GM maize until further consideration of how the maize would be grown in practice. In North America, farmers have had to use the a combination of chemicals with the GM maize to get adequate weed control. Given the difficult position of our farmland wildlife we have to be careful" said Dr Mayer.

For further information please contacts Sue Mayer on 01298 871898 (office); 07930 308807 (mobile).

Notes to Editors

1.The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment's (ACRE) advice to Government on the findings of the FSEs is available on:
 http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/index.htm
2.Applications to market GM herbicide tolerant GM oilseed rape and sugar beet in Europe are being considered in Belgium, Denmark and Germany. These
applications have been made by Bayer Crop Science, Syngenta and Monsanto. See:  http://gmoinfo.jrc.it/default.asp
---
3. Friends of the Earth Press Release
Immediate Release: Tuesday 13 January
GOVERNMENT GM ADVISOR ATTACKED OVER CROP TRIAL ADVICE

The GovernmentÕs GM advisor has refused to rule out the commercial development of GM beet and oil seed rape despite acknowledging that GM crop trials showed they would cause Òadverse environmental effectsÓ.

The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) said Òthere may be viable mitigation measures that could be used by farmers to offset any adverse effectsÓ.

ACRE also gave strong support to a fourth crop Ð GM fodder maize Ð saying it Òdid not demonstrate evidence of adverse environmental impactsÓ. Friends of the Earth said that that the maize GM crop trials can not be used to justify their commercial development as they were fatally flawed.

Friends of the EarthÕs GM campaigner Pete Riley said: ÒACRE refuses to rule out the commercial development of GM maize and oil seed rape despite overwhelming evidence of the damage this would
cause. It also appears to support the commercial development of GM maize even though trials of this particular crop were fatally flawed. GM crops are unpopular, unnecessary and a threat to neighbouring crops and the environment. The Government must not allow them to be commercially grown in the UK.Ó

The farm scale evaluation (FSE) results, which were published by the Royal Society in October 2003 [2], following fours years of field research, compared the impact on farmland wildlife of growing GM crops
with their non-GM equivalents. GM sugar beet, fodder beet and spring oilseed rape were found to cause a serious decline in weeds and weed seed production which form the main food for farmland wildlife, including birds. This confirms the finding of previous research published by the Government [3] on the long-term impacts of growing GM herbicide beet and oilseed crops including the possible extinction of the skylark in two decades.

The FSE results also showed that GM fodder maize, which is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate, was less damaging to biodiversity than conventional maize. But the trials for this GM crop were flawed
because:
¥ Aventis (now Bayer) did not reveal, until the trials were almost over, that glufosinate-atrazine mixtures and double applications of glufosinate are widely recommended in order to ensure a commercially viable crop in the USA;
¥ Use of the herbicides in the trials were closely managed by Aventis/Bayer. Friends of the Earth questions whether the FSEÕs may have been
managed to maximise weed cover rather than achieve a commercial yield;
¥ Crop yield was not measured accurately, so we donÕt know whether the biodiversity seen in the GM maize trials would ever be acceptable in
commercial practice;
¥ Atrazine, the weedkiller used on three quarters of the conventional maize in the trials, will be banned in the EU from 2005. The FSEs did not compare GM maize with the likely non-GM weed management techniques which will be used in the future;
¥ The FSEÕs only looked at the impact on farmland wildlife. Wider issues, such as cross-pollination with neighbouring crops and weedy relatives were not part of the experiment;
¥ Serious doubts on contamination, food safety and other issues that were raised at a special Government hearing into the GM maize in 2000, have yet to be answered [4].

Before GM maize can be commercially grown it has to receive approval for seeds [5] and pesticides [6] as well as under GM regulations [7].

ENDS

Notes

1. GM sugar beet, fodder beet and spring oilseed rape.
2. See the Farm Scale Evaluations of Spring sown genetically Modified Crops Paper of a Theme Issue Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of Biological Sciences 29th November 200 3 Vol 358 Number 1439 pp 1773-1913.
2.  http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/research/epg-1-5-188.htm
3. http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmenva
ud/uc1239-iii/uc123902.htm
4.see  http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/20001109185653.html
5. The Seeds (National Lists of Varieties) regulations 2001
6. Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 and the Plant Protection Products Regulations 1995 and amendments
7. Environmental Protection Ac 1990 and the Genetically Modified Organism (Deliberate Release) Regulations 2002.

Pete Riley: 07712 843 210 (m)
Press Office: 020 7566 1649
---
4. Press Release - Soil Association response to ACRE report, 13 January 2004

ACRE (the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment) has today issued a report to the Government following the results of the GM field-scale evaluations. ACRE looked at whether the results of the FSEs meet European criteria for banning GM crops on environmental grounds.

The report says that if GM oil seed rape and sugar beet are grown commercially, they will result in damage to the environment: herbicides used on GM crops adversely affect weeds and insects and will lead to loss of bird life.

ACRE said that more investigation is needed into GM maize because the herbicide used at present - atrazine Ð is due to be banned. ACRE said that in the meantime, if GM maize is grown, it must be managed in exactly the same way as in the field scale evaluations: this means that only one type of herbicide can be used.

Peter Melchett, the Soil Association's policy director said, "We welcome ACRE's decision on GM oilseed rape and sugar beet.

"But when it comes to GM maize, evidence from America shows that it is only practical to use one type of herbicide for the first few years. After that, more herbicides are needed."

The Soil Association points out that the FSEs were the first time, anywhere in the world, that the environmental impact of GM crops was considered compared with non-GM equivalents. This happened because of the insistence of Michael Meacher when he was the environment minister. According to the Soil Association, ACRE's consultation implies that in future all chemical companies must provide similar data on all GM crops.

ACRE's report says that the findings of the FSEs "have implications for agriculture in general". This is because although GM crops were generally a disaster for the environment, the research has shown that non-GM maize, sugar beet and oil seed rape also do great environmental damage.

ACRE's report suggests that all major changes in agricultural practice should be assessed. The report states: "all major changes in agricultural practice (including, for example, the use of
herbicide-tolerant crops produced by conventional breeding), not just those associated with GM crops, may need to be scrutinised in terms of their environmental impact".

Peter Melchett said,"We strongly agree that all new pesticides, new crops and other changes to agricultural practice should be assessed for their environmental impact. Organic farmers
would warmly welcome this."

Press Office T: 0117 914 2448 ISDN: 0117 922 1680
Soil Association Campaigning for organic food and farming and sustainable forestry
Bristol House, 40-56 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6BY T: 0117 929 0661 F: 0117 925 2504
www.soilassociation.org


 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-962203,00.html
Government gets green light for GM maize crop

 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040113/325/ejaox.html
GM maize trials show no adverse impact

 http://www.dailystar.co.uk/story.html?story=5&r=1074009107361782
GM maize 'no threat to wildlife'

***************************************************
 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,1-962203,00.html
The Times: January 13, 2004

Government gets green light for GM maize crop
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent

The first genetically modified crops grown commercially in Britain could be
planted as early as this spring, after an official environment panel today
advised ministers to approve a type of GM maize.

The Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (Acre) found that
herbicide-tolerant GM maize would not have a negative impact on wildlife if
grown commercially, clearing the way for the Government to license the crop.

A final decision from Margaret Beckett, the Environment Secretary, is now
expected within six weeks — soon enough to allow farmers to plant GM maize
this year if she rules in favour.

The Acre recommendations follow last year's extensive farm-scale evaluations
(FSEs) of three GM crops, which examined their likely impact on farmland
wildlife.

In line with the results, the expert panel told ministers that
herbicide-tolerant GM maize would have no adverse effects if grown under the
same conditions as in the FSEs. Farmers should therefore be allowed to grow
this crop, provided they follow this herbicide regime, Acre said.

GM herbicide-tolerant varieties of spring-sown oilseed rape and sugar beet,
however, were shown in the trials to have a negative effect on the weeds on
which farmland insects and birds rely for food.

Acre accordingly advised the Government against approving either variety,
though it left the door open for a positive verdict if biotechnology
companies can devise better systems for managing their environmental impact.

"In a sense, we are saying 'yes, but' to the maize and 'no, but' to both the
beet and the spring-sown oilseed rape," said Jules Pretty, deputy chairman of
Acre. "That is not 'yes, yes, no'. That is very important.

"This advice confirms the case-by-case approach taken by Acre for GM crops.
This is neither a green light for GM not a death knell."

The recommendations are similar to those already made by English Nature,
another Government advisory panel on the environment. It told ministers not
to approve oilseed rape or sugar beet, but that maize could be commercialised
subject to strict conditions.

Mrs Beckett welcomed the report, and officials promised it would lead to a
decision within a month to six weeks. Her decision will apply across the
European Union, as the European Commission has declared Britain the
"competent authority" on these crops.

"We will now consider Acre's advice, as well as the advice from English
Nature, very carefully before reaching a view on whether these crops should
be approved for cultivation in the EU," she said.

"I have said consistently that the Government is neither pro- nor anti-GM
crops — our overriding concern is to protect human health and the
environment, and to ensure genuine consumer choice."

Ministers will also consider the Government's GM science review, which found
there was no evidence for harm to human health and ruled against a blanket
ban.

An economic review, however, found that GM crops offered few immediate
benefits to the UK economy, and the GM Nation? consultation found that the
public remains largely opposed to commercialisation.

The Acre report also called for further research to compare GM maize with
conventional varieties that are treated with herbicides other than Atrazine —
which was largely used in the FSEs. This powerful chemical is to be banned in
2005, leading green groups to criticise the trials' conclusions.

This work, however, could be done after GM maize was approved for commercial
planting, Dr Pretty said. Further monitoring of the crop once it was brought
to market must also be put in place, Acre said.

Scientists and industry groups were delighted with the report, which they said
followed a broad scientific consensus for case-by-case assessment rather than
a comprehensive approval or ban.

Professor David Read, vice-president of the Royal Society, said: "If the sole
criterion for assessing applications to grow these specific GM crops, under
the same conditions as the farm-scale trials, is likely impact on farmland
wildlife, then the Government probably should not approve the growing of the
oilseed rape and sugar beet.

"If maize is grown in the UK, it should be monitored for any unexpected
effects, good or bad, on the environment, or other changes, for instance in
the weed management methods used by farmers."

Paul Rylott, Chairman of the Agricultural Biotechnology Commission, said:
"These recommendations confirm what the industry has always believed: that
grown in the right way, GM crops can benefit the environment."

Anti-GM campaigners, however, were dismayed by the advice. Sarah North of
Greenpeace said: "This is bad for farmers, bad for the organic food industry
and bad for our countryside. The only reason GM maize got through the British
tests was because its effect on the environment was compared to a herbicide
which is so toxic it's now been banned."

Pete Riley of Friends of the Earth said: "Acre refuses to rule out the
commercial development of GM beet and oil seed rape despite overwhelming
evidence of the damage it would cause.

"It also appears to support the commercial development of GM maize even though
trials of this particular crop were fatally flawed. GM crops are unpopular,
unnecessary and a threat to neighbouring crops and the environment. The
Government must not allow them to be commercially grown in the UK."

For the GM maize to be grown commercially, it would also have to be placed on
the national seed list and have the associated herbicide regime approved by
another government advisory panel. Decisions on both these issues are
expected before Mrs Beckett makes her ruling.

Acre said that it had received a formal application to plant the GM maize, but
had yet to receive applications for the oilseed rape or sugar beet.

***************************************************
 http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040113/325/ejaox.html
Yahoo News
GM maize trials show no adverse impact

LONDON (Reuters) - A team of government advisers charged with recommending
whether Britain grows genetically modified (GMO) crops says tests on GM
rapeseed and sugar beet show the environment is at risk, while studies of GM
maize do not demonstrate evidence of any negative effects.

"Based on the evidence provided by the farm scale evaluation (FSE) results
published in October 2003, if GM herbicide tolerant (GMHT) maize were to be
grown and managed as in the FSE's this would not result in adverse effects,"
the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE) said in a major
report on Tuesday.

But in contrast, GMHT rapeseed and sugar beet tests showed that local wildlife
had been adversely affected when compared with conventional varieties, ACRE
said.

The results of three years of testing concluded last year showed that
herbicides used on two of the GM crops tested -- sugar beet and rapeseed --
had a negative impact for wildlife when compared with conventional crops,
while the environment surrounding GM maize fared better.

The trials are a key part of the government's decision-making process over
whether UK farmers get the green light to grow the gene-spliced crops
commercially.

GM maize also appears to have got the backing from English Nature, the
government's independent wildlife watchdog, which said the crops could be
commercialised in Britain.

"English Nature has advised that, on the basis of the FSE results, GMHT spring
oilseed rape and beet should not be commercialised, but that GMHT maize may
be commercialised subject to certain conditions," the UK agriculture ministry
said in a statement. Ministers are under pressure to agree a regulatory
regime for GM crops because the EU is poised to lift its five-year moratorium
on the crops, a move that could pave the way for their possible cultivation.
***************************************************
 http://www.dailystar.co.uk/story.html?story=5&r=1074009107361782
Daily Star
GM maize 'no threat to wildlife'

GM maize 'no threat to wildlife'

Farmers who grow genetically modified herbicide tolerant maize crops under
strict rules would not see adverse effects on wildlife, government scientific
advisers have said.

The message from the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE)
will be studied by ministers as the debate over the commercialisation of the
controversial crops gathers pace.

The ACRE panel, which has spent the last three months looking at the results
of three year nationwide field scale trials of crops, announced their advice
to Government at a London press conference.

But their verdict on GM beet and spring sown oil seed rape is that if these
were grown, it would have adverse effects on arable weed populations and in
turn on insects and birds, compared with conventionally managed beet.

Jules Pretty, deputy chairman of ACRE, told the news conference: "In a sense
we are saying 'yes, but' to the maize and 'no, but', both to the beet and the
spring sown oil seed rape.

"That is not 'yes, no, no'. That is very important."

English Nature, another advisory panel to Government, has told ministers that
oilseed rape and beet should not be commercialised, but GM herbicide tolerant
maize may be commercialised subject to certain conditions.