[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 154 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 154

 Expressing the support of the Senate of United States efforts in the 
 World Trade Organization to end the unwarranted moratorium imposed by 
   the European Union on the approval of agricultural biotechnology 
                               products.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              May 23, 2003

Mr. Talent (for himself, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Bond, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Baucus, 
Mr. Bunning, and Mr. Roberts) submitted the following resolution; which 
                      was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the support of the Senate of United States efforts in the 
 World Trade Organization to end the unwarranted moratorium imposed by 
   the European Union on the approval of agricultural biotechnology 
                               products.

Whereas agricultural biotechnology is subject to the strictest Federal review in 
        the United States, based on sound science, by the Department of 
        Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Food and Drug 
        Administration prior to planting and human consumption;
Whereas agricultural biotechnology has made considerable contributions to the 
        protection of the environment by creating an environment more hospitable 
        to wildlife and reducing the application of pesticides by 46,000,000 
        pounds in 2001 alone;
Whereas agricultural biotechnology holds tremendous promise for greatly 
        increasing the world's supply of nutritious and wholesome foods which 
        will improve the quality of life and health in the developing world;
Whereas there is objective and experience-based consensus in the international 
        scientific community, including the National Academy of Sciences, the 
        American Medical Association, the Royal Society of London, the French 
        Academy of Medicine, the French Academy of Sciences, the Brazilian 
        Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Indian 
        National Science Academy, and the Mexican Academy of Sciences, that 
        agricultural biotechnology is safe;
Whereas policy decisions regarding agricultural biotechnology in the European 
        Union are being driven by politics and not by sound science;
Whereas since the late 1990s, the European Union has pursued policies that 
        shelter its markets from competition by opposing the use of agricultural 
        biotechnology;
Whereas agricultural biotechnology policies of the European Union have 
        frustrated the development of modern scientific tools and plant 
        technology that could expand the production of indigenous food products 
        by addressing problems related to local pests, weather conditions, and 
        vitamin deficiencies;
Whereas since its implementation in October 1998, the moratorium has blocked 
        more than $300,000,000 annually in United States corn exports to 
        countries in the European Union;
Whereas the European Union's unjustified moratorium on agricultural 
        biotechnology approvals has ramifications far beyond the United States 
        and Europe, forcing a slowdown in the adoption and acceptance of 
        beneficial biotechnology to the detriment of farmers and consumers 
        around the world, and especially to starving people in the developing 
        world;
Whereas in the fall of 2002, famine-stricken African countries rejected healthy, 
        wholesome, United States humanitarian offers of food aid because of ill-
        informed health and environmental concerns and fears that future exports 
        to Europe would be jeopardized; and
Whereas the 5-year moratorium on the approval of new agricultural biotechnology 
        products entering the European market is not science based, effectively 
        prohibits most United States corn exports to Europe, violates European 
        Union law, and clearly breaches the rules of the World Trade 
        Organization: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate supports and applauds the efforts of the 
Administration on behalf of the Nation's farmers, challenging the long-
standing, unwarranted moratorium imposed by the European Union on the 
approval of agricultural biotechnology products and encourages the 
President to continue to press this issue at the G-8 Summit in Evian, 
France, on June 1 through 3, 2003.
                                 <all>