Seite 1 20.04.23

GMO Policy in Austria (national strategy on cultivation and Co-existence, relevant legislation in Austrian

Provinces) by Heinz-Peter ZachInternational Conference in Riga – 10 December 2010

Page 2 10 December 2010

Austrian Position (milestones)

•Petition for a referendum (Gentechnik-Volksbegehren) 1997:

1,2 Mio. (21% of eligible voters) signed a petition:–No food from GMOs–No deliberate release into the environment of GMOs

•Only 21% of all the Austrians are in favour of GMO food

according to Eurobarometer Special Survey 2005•2005 Upper Austria, Styria, Salzburg & Burgenland joined the

Florence Charter for GMO-free regions. Meanwhile all the

Federal States are declared GMO-free regions•Resolution of all 5 political paties against the application on

genetic Engineering in Austrian agriculture, dated 11 March 2009

Page 3 10 December 2010

GVO-cultivation: global – EU - Austria

GMO-cutivation

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

global 90 Mio. ha 102 Mio.ha 114 Mio.ha 125 Mio.ha 134 Mio.ha

EU 55.000 ha 62.000 ha 110.000 ha 107.000 ha 95.000 ha

Austria 0 0 0 0 0

Page 4 10 December 2010

Competences(Constitution; Authorities)

• Marketing of GMOs: State; Federal Ministry of Health

• Cultivation of GMOs: Federal States (die Länder)

• Co-ordination of Co-existence: Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management

• Technical questions of cultivation: Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety

• Environmental risk assessment: Federal Office of Environment (Umweltbundesamt)

Page 5 10 December 2010

Legal Sources(competences)

• Law on Genetic Engineering (Gentechnikgesetz): Federal Ministry of Health

• Genetic Engineering Precautionary Laws : Federal States (die Länder)

• Act on Seeds/ Regulation on GMO-Seeds/ Regulation on cultivated areas for seed-production : Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management

Page 6 10 December 2010

National Strategy in Austria – Co-ordination

• Authority for GMOs: Ministry of Health• Working Group in the Federal Ministry for

Agriculture and Forestry, Environment and Water Management

• Expert Group for establishing federal guidelines for the management of Co-existence

• Co-operation between the Authorities

Page 7 10 December 2010

Law on Genetic Engineeringrelevant provisions for Länder

• Federal Register:– Metadata on places of GMO cultivation– Take over of essential data from the provincial

registers (place, area, GMO-UI, source)• Civil Liability:

– Burden of proof is mainly up to GMO-farmer– Compensation for economic damage and

environmental sanitation measures– Dispute settlement by an official mediator before

going to the court

Page 8 10 December 2010

Legislation – Genetic Engineering Precautionary Laws

• Legal Procedure:– 2 schemes: Legal authorization (Salzburg; NÖ, B, W, ST) or

duty to give notice (Carinthia; T, OÖ)– Conditions by authority or rejection are possible– Financial precaution may be ordered to the applicant

• Transparency:– Information by public registration– Duties of the applicant towards his neighbours

• Compensation:– By the GMO-grower in the case of illegal release– Relates to the caused damage (estimated value of harvest)– Restoration of the state before the release

Page 9 10 December 2010

Legislation - Act on Seeds (contamination)

• Regulation on GMO-Seeds (Saatgut-Gentechnik-Verordnung)– GMO-labelling of seed of GMO-varieties

and GMO-contaminated seed– Absence of GMOs in basic-seed used for

Austrian seed-multiplication (certificate)– Tolerance level for contamination of 0,1%

GMO within the marketing of certified seed in Austria (in enforcement & post control)

– Monitoring-program by the authority

Page 10 10 December 2010

Legislation - Act on Seeds (co-existence)

• Regulation for cultivated areas for seed-production (Saatgut-Anbaugebiete-Verordung)– Stipulation of species for closed multiplication

areas (Swedish turnip, Maize, Swede and Turnip Rape, Fodder Turnip, Sugar and Fodder beet, Potato)

– Stipulation of areas by the Länder; assistance by the Seed Authority

Page 11 10 December 2010

Situation of Scenarios• Present scenario:

– De facto GMO-free zone– Prevention of GMO-contamination in Austrian seed

production– National Bans on GMO concerning cultivation are in

force, also GMO-varieties concerned• Co-existence scenario:

– Regional procedure for cultivation of GMO-varieties– Elaboration of Federal Guidelines for the Management

of Co-existence (Expert-group of AGES) is still outstanding in lack of practice

– Cooperation with neighbouring States – mutual information on GMO-cultivation

Page 12 10 December 2010

National Strategy in Austria - Cultivation

•2009: Initiative concerning the right of self-determination of

Member States on GMO-free cultivation•Summer 2010: Proposal of the European Commission

for a legally binding right for self-determination•Spring 2011: Statement of European Parliament •Defending of Austrian bans on cultivation in Bruxelles

and perpetuation of very strict formulations of Genetic

Engineering Precautionary Laws in the Länder

Page 13 10 December 2010

National Strategy in Austria – feeding stuffIntiative on protein crops by advisory service for farmers (Agricultural Chambers):

– first outcome: production of sojabean could be extended from 25.000 to 34.000 ha (+36%) in 2010 (sojabean cannot be replaced in pig and poultry

fattening!)

– moreover: By a third of sojaimports (rund 500.000 t)

can be replaced by DDGS (Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles ), proper for feeding of ruminant animals).

Page 14 10 December 2010

Competitive without GMOs

•In the last 10 years: seed multiplication tripled (from

2000 up to 6000 ha maize seed multiplication area) due

to increase in demand of guaranteed GMO-free seed

maize. •Futhermore big international seed industries offer GMO-

free varieties for seed multiplication and trade! •Genetically modified seed is more expensive than

conventional seed.•GMO-seed has not made much progress in EU.

Page 15 10 December 2010

Maize yields per ha in tons: US (GMO) and Austria Source: Austria: Statistik Austria, AMA USA: United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. corn yields _______ Austria ________

0

3

6

9

12

15

1960

/196

1

1965

/196

6

1970

/197

1

1975

/197

6

1980

/198

1

1985

/198

6

1990

/199

1

1995

/199

6

2000

/200

1

2005

/200

6

2010

/11

Page 16 10 December 2010

Conclusions

• Austrian Legislation safeguards Co-existence and GMO-free cultivation as well.

• So far no disadvantages have appeared from waiving of GMOs in agriculture.

• International engagement is necessary to maintain GMO-free production.

• National initiatives are necessary to be able to offer GMO-free food.

Page 17 10 December 2010

Thank you for your

attention !