from Claire Robinson, WEEKLY WATCH editor
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Dear all:

This week we have reports on the outcome of the latest Biosafety Protocol (MOP3) meeting in Brazil (BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL).

The villains of the occasion were Mexico and Paraguay, which blocked and then watered down an important consensus on labeling of GMOs. Paraguay should be particularly ashamed, since some of its citizens came to MOP3 to give first-hand reports of the horrific effects of pesticide poisoning from the spraying of the country's vast GM soy monocultures (THE AMERICAS).

The "Celtic Lad" - "Canadian public servant" and pro-GM blogger Shane Morris, whose agenda is to get GM spuds planted in Ireland, has been up to more tricks (LOBBYWATCH).

And there have been renewed calls for GM food safety testing in the wake of the GM drug disaster in the UK (GM MEDICINES, FOOD SAFETY).

Also in the UK, the latest "peerages for cash" sleaze scandal enveloping Tony Blair places two biotech peers and a biotech knight in the very centre of the row (EUROPE).

Unfortunately, GM Watch is experiencing all kinds of list and e-mail problems at the moment with a lot of our subscribers not getting our messages. If you have any friends or colleagues who are GM Watch subscribers, please pass this bulletin along to make sure they know what's happening.

All our bulletins can, as always, be seen in our list archive: http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive.asp

Many thanks
Claire [email protected]
www.gmwatch.org / www.lobbywatch.org

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CONTENTS
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BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL
EUROPE
THE AMERICAS
ASIA
MIDDLE EAST
FOOD SAFETY
LOBBYWATCH
GM MEDICINES

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BIOAFETY PROTOCOL
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+ AGREEMENT SIGNED IN CURITIBA MANDATES LABELLING OF GMOs - IN 2012!
Until 2012, the identification of imported and exported genetically modified grains will not be mandatory among signatory countries of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. Identification will be made according to each country's technical capacity.

The agreement was signed 17 March at the end of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP3) in Curitiba, Brazil. "The final decision reflects a scenario where this type of international forum for decisions is growingly dominated by transnational companies that hold power over the countries", according to Maria Rita Reis of the NGO Terra de Direitos, who participated in the meetings.

Delegates from Mexico and Paraguay were the only ones among the 96 countries who are signatories of the protocol who were against the decision to label transgenic products with the expression "contains" or "may contain". Mexico buys 3 million tons of GM maize a year from the United States.

According to Maria Rita Reis, among the signatory countries of the Protocol, countries that already separate transgenic from non-genetically modified products will adopt as of now the expression "contains" to label international shipping. In dealings between a signatory and a non-signatory country, the expression "may contain" will be used.
http://www.cop8mop3.com.br/cms/english/imprensa/noticia_visualizar.php?cod_noticia=83

+ MEXICO AND PARAGUAY TRY TO BLOCK AGREEMENT ON BIOSAFETY
Mexico and Paraguay waited until Friday, the last day of the Third Meeting of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (MOP3), to present new proposals to modify the text that had been under negotiation since Monday, thus prolonging the five-day gathering.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6357

Adrian Bebb of FoE comments: "Paraguay were acting on orders from Argentina, and Mexico were worried about their trade agreements with the US and Canada. The Agreement that was made is not brilliant. However it does represent a step forward after the collapse we saw last year. The Protocol can now be implemented, albeit weakly, but that should be taken as a positive step for developing countries."
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6362

+ EAST AFRICAN HUNGRY NATIONS DEMAND TRUTH ABOUT GM FOOD AID
Hunger-stricken countries in East Africa say they will continue to reject GM food aid until effective labelling is in place.
http://www.lobbywatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=6367

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EUROPE
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+ BLAIR'S BIOTECH BACKERS
In the latest sleaze row involving Tony Blair proposing peerages for undisclosed financial supporters of his Labour Party, some journalists have noted that financially supporting Blair may not only buy you a peerage but even access to government!

And how's this for a coincidence? Of the top three personal donors to Blair's Party, two - Paul Drayson and David Sainsbury - are biotech entrepreneurs. Both have been made peers by Blair in controversial circumstances and both have been given jobs in government.

When Drayson was made a peer, a Guardian editorial commented, 'It may be unkind to Lord Drayson to suggest that he effectively purchased a seat in parliament, but if the same thing happened in an African kleptocracy we might find it altogether less amusing.'

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