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Bayer deals blow to GM crops - "huge blow" to GM lobby (31/3/2004)

"In a huge blow to the genetically modified food lobby, Bayer Cropscience has given up attempts to grow commercial GM maize in Britain." - The Independent (item 1)

"Make no mistake about it, this is a victory for democracy over an arrogant and insensitive biotechnology corporation and over a Government obsessed with a reduntant and unwanted technology." - Dr Brian John (item 2)

"What part of No GM did you not understand?"

Just in case any one's in any doubt:
1.GM giant abandons bid to grow crops in Britain
2.GM Maize -- major victory for grass-roots
3.Bayer deals blow to GM crops - BBC
4.Biotech Firm Scraps GM Maize Growing Plans
5.Bayer CropScience - Press Release
6.Bayer says not to sell GM maize in UK

No wonder Bayer's been sacking its heads of "bio-science" right across Europe.
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1.GM giant abandons bid to grow crops in Britain
By Andrew Clennell
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=506810
The Independent, 31 March 2004

In a huge blow to the genetically modified food lobby, Bayer Cropscience has given up attempts to grow commercial GM maize in Britain.

The decision, blamed by the company on government restrictions, means no GM crop will be grown commercially in the UK in 2005 and raises questions about the future of GM in this country.

The German biotechnology company will announce today that its maize variety Chardon LL, which was to be developed as cattle feed, had been left "economically non-viable" because of conditions set by the Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett when she gave limited approval to the growing of the crop this month.

A spokesman for the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said last night: "We do not apologise for the fact there is a tough EU-wide regulatory regime on GMs. This is a commercial decision made by Bayer and they have decided to withdraw their application, [which means] there will not be any commercial cultivation of GM crops in 2005 in the UK.

"In the current climate in the EU, with member states' strong views on these matters, there's little prospect of any GM crops coming forward for consideration in the near future. We always said it would be for the market to decide [the future of GM]."

There were suggestions last night that GM crops were unlikely to be grown in the UK until 2008, when GM oil seed rape may be approved for cultivation.

Bayer's decision will be seen as a huge win for the former environment minister Michael Meacher and green groups.

Chardon LL, which Bayer had wanted to commercially grow, was developed for approval in 1999. It is already grown in the Netherlands [but not in reality because no one will buy it!].

A Bayer spokesman confirmed the imminent withdrawal of its application to grow in the UK last night. The company told The Financial Times the UK's tough GM regulatory regime could jeopardise the industry. It said: "New regulations should enable GM crops to be grown in the UK - not disable future attempts to grow them."

Chardon LL gained approval after trials showed it caused less damage to wildlife than its conventional equivalent, but ministers have not yet decided rules for mixing GM and non-GM crops and what compensation might be paid for contamination by GM pollen.

Bayer said: "These uncertainties and undefined timelines will make this five-year-old variety economically unviable."

Only three weeks ago in parliament, Ms Beckett controversially announced her decision to allow Bayer to go ahead with its maize project. The decision came after 15 years of field trials and four years of farm-scale evaluations.

Ms Beckett told the Commons the GM maize could be grown as soon as next year and said non-GM farmers who suffered financial losses because of crop contamination would be compensated by the industry, not the taxpayer.

At the time, Mr Meacher said: "This is the wrong decision. It is driven by the commercial interests of the big biotech companies and, no doubt, pressure from the White House."
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2.GM Maize -- major victory for grass-roots campaigners
Press Release from GM Free Cymru
31st March 2004

Today's decision by Bayer CropScience to withdraw its application to grow Chardon LL maize in the UK has been greeted with delight by grass-roots campaigners in Wales.

For the last three years or more, GM Free Cymru and other groups have campaigned consistently against the growing of this "out-dated and dangerous" crop, and have taken on Bayer and the Government in a battle of attrition.  The campaigners have been buoyed up by massive public support for their efforts, and in spite of their lack of resources they have effectively won every argument -- on health, safety and environmental issues.

In its statement Bayer blamed its decision on "Government obstacles" to GM maize commercialization, and said that it could not realistically see the crop being grown in the UK before its current commercial licence runs out in October 2006. After that, because of tighter EU rules, the GM variety would have to go through a new sequence of testing, and because it is an out-dated variety it is widely assumed that it would inevitably fail those tests.

Speaking today for GM Free Cymru, Dr Brian John said: "This is amazing news, but not entirely unexpected.  Only a week ago, we invited Bayer to respond to public antipathy and scientific concerns by withdrawing its applications for Chardon LL and Liberty herbicide.  Now they have had the good sense to accept our invitation!

"But we do not accept the Bayer line that the Government's lack of cooperation is the reason for this decision.  The Government has been pro-GM from the beginning, and it was public pressure which forced Margaret Beckett -- in her statement on 9th March -- to promise very tight controls. The real reason for the Bayer climb-down is that grass-roots campaigners have attacked the science, the liability issue, the herbicide issue, the practicalities of coexistence, and the corruption of the whole GM enterprise with persistence and sophistication.  No company can afford to operate in a climate of such unremitting hostility for too long.

"Make no mistake about it, this is a victory for democracy over an arrogant and insensitive biotechnology corporation and over a Government obsessed with a reduntant and unwanted technology."

GM Free Cymru will now ensure that today's statement by Bayer is followed by a withdrawal of all applications for Chardon LL and Liberty herbicide, and members will also demand that DEFRA withdraws its recent request to the EU for changes in the conditions attached to the Chardon LL commercial consent.

"The front door may now be shut," says Dr John, "but the back door is still ajar, and we do not trust the Government at all.  They may well try to slide something unpleasant in through the gap, and we can expect the GM industry to put great efforts into ensuring the pollution of our food supply through the import of GM animal feed and processed foods containing GM ingredients."

ENDS

Contact:  Brian John on 01239-820470
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3.Bayer deals blow to GM crops
Wednesday, 31 March, 2004, 06:36 GMT 07:36 UK
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3584763.stm

GM crop growing has been shelved for the "forseeable future", according to the government.  German company Bayer CropScience was the only firm eligible to grow herbicide resistant maize in the UK.  But it has decided not to cultivate the crop, Chardon LL, blaming government constraints for making it "economically non-viable".

The move is likely to put an end to GM crop growing in this country for "the foreseeable future".

In a statement, Bayer CropScience said government-imposed conditions would stall GM maize production for too long.  "The specific details of these conditions are still not available and thus will result in yet another 'open-ended' period of delay," it said.

Economically non-viable

"These uncertainties and undefined timelines will make this five-year old variety economically non-viable."

But environment minister Elliot Morley defended the government's stance on GM maize.

He said: "We do not apologise for the fact there is a tough EU-wide regulatory regime on GMs. It applies to the whole of the EU not just the UK.

"We always said it would be for the market to decide the viability of growing and selling GM once the government assessed safety and risk.

"Number 10's Strategy Unit report on the costs and benefits of GM last year did say there would be limited short-term commercial benefits in the UK for growing GM."

Chardon LL was given EU permission for cultivation in 1999 but it failed to get the green light in the UK until earlier this month.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett approved cultivation of the herbicide tolerant maize.

But she rejected commercial cultivation of GM beet and oilseed rape - the two other GM crops involved in recent tests, known as the farm-scale evaluations..

Her statement followed five years of consultation, farm scale trials and a major public survey which showed 90% of the public were against GM crops.

She said the GM maize licences would expire in October 2006, and any consent holders wishing to renew them would have to carry out scientific analysis during cultivation.  Her approach was "precautionary" and "evidence-based", she said.

There was "no scientific case for a blanket approval for all uses of GM... and no scientific case for a blanket ban on the use of GM".
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4.Biotech Firm Scraps GM Maize Growing Plans
By Louise Barnett, PA News
The Scotsman, 31 March 2004
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2720121

GM crop growing in Britain is unlikely to go ahead for the "foreseeable future" following a biotechnology company’s decision not to cultivate herbicide resistant maize, the Government said today.

German company Bayer CropScience blamed Government constraints for its decision which, it said, would make the GM maize crop “economically non-viable".  The company was the only one eligible to grow the genetically modified maize Chardon LL in the UK.

The move is likely to put an end to GM crop growing in this country for "the foreseeable future", a spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said.

In a statement, Bayer CropScience said Government-imposed conditions would stall GM maize production for too long.  "The specific details of these conditions are still not available and thus will result in yet another "open-ended" period of delay," it said. "These uncertainties and undefined timelines will make this five-year old variety economically non-viable.

Defending the Government's stance on GM maize, environment minister Elliot Morley said: "We do not apologise for the fact there is a tough EU-wide regulatory regime on GMs. It applies to the whole of the EU not just the UK."

He added: "We always said it would be for the market to decide the viability of growing and selling GM once Government assessed safety and risk. Number 10's Strategy Unit report on the costs and benefits of GM last year did say there would be limited short-term commercial benefits in the UK for growing GM. Today we see Bayer's decision."

Chardon LL was given EU permission for cultivation in 1999 but was not given the green light in the UK until earlier this month.

Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett approved cultivation of the herbicide tolerant maize but rejected commercial cultivation of GM beet and oilseed rape.

Her statement followed five years of consultation, farm scale trials and a major public survey which showed 90% of the public were against GM crops.

BayerScience spokesman Dr Julian Little said: "We hope that the UK will be able to benefit from the opportunity afforded by this technology some time in the future. We would like to thank all UK farmers and stakeholders who have supported our efforts to make progress on this project".
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5.Bayer CropScience
Press Release
http://www.bcsbioscience.co.uk/
**Embargoed until 31/03/04**

Following the announcement of the UK Government's position on GM Food and Crops on 9th March 2004

Bayer CropScience discontinues further efforts to commercialise GM forage maize in the UK

Bayer CropScience has decided to discontinue further efforts to commercialise its GM forage maize variety, Chardon LL, in the UK.

The UK Government in its recent policy announcement on GM Food and Crops, indicated that it agreed in principle to the commercial cultivation of this GM forage maize variety and thereby confirmed that this GM product is both safe and effective.

Bayer CropScience recognised this announcement as a positive step towards the development of plant biotechnologies in the UK.

The Government has however placed a number of constraints on this conditional approval before the commercial cultivation of GM forage maize can proceed in the UK. The specific details of these conditions are still not available and thus will result in yet another 'open-ended' period of delay. These uncertainties and undefined timelines will make this five-year old variety economically non-viable.

Bayer CropScience remains highly committed to the further development of plant biotechnologies in the UK.

"We hope that the UK will be able to benefit from the opportunity afforded by this technology some time in the future. We would like to thank all UK farmers and stakeholders who have supported our efforts to make progress on this project" - said Dr Julian Little, a Bayer CropScience spokesperson.

-ends-

Notes to editor:

Bayer CropScience, a subsidiary of Bayer AG with annual sales of about EUR 5.8 billion (2003), is one of the world's leading innovative crop science companies in the areas of crop protection, non-agricultural pest control, seeds and plant biotechnology.

The company offers an outstanding range of products and extensive service backup for modern, sustainable agriculture and for non-agricultural applications. Bayer CropScience has a global workforce of about 19,000 and is represented in more than 120 countries, ensuring proximity to dealers and consumers.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer CropScience AG management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future consolidated results, financial situation, development or performance of the Bayer

CropScience AG or our parent company, Bayer AG, and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer AG's public reports filed with the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (including Bayer AG's Form 20-F). Neither Bayer AG nor Bayer CropScience AG assumes any liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.
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Your Contact:  Julian Little
Public & Government Affairs Manager
Bayer CropScience
Tel no: +44 1223 252557
Fax no: +44 1223 252426
Bayer CropScience Ltd
Hauxton
Cambridge
CB2 5HU

Additional Contact
Clive Rainbird
PR & Communications Manager
Bayer CropScience
Tel no: +44 1223 870312
Fax no: +44 1223 252288
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6.Bayer says not to sell GM maize in UK http://217.204.41.132/cgi/NGoto/2/54710296?435

RPT-Bayer says not to sell GM maize in UK http://217.204.41.132/cgi/NGoto/2/54710297?435   

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