GMO-free europe

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National: From January 2007 on, the cultivation of herbicide resistant Roundup Ready soybeans is banned in Romania.
Regions: ?
Municipalities: 24 communes and two cities have declared themselves GMO-free.

The National Federation of Organic Farmers (FNAE) and the Information Centre on GMOs (InfOMG - Romania) announce the declaration of the first GMO Free Region in Romania. A number of 26 localities from the Bistrita Nasaud county, declared themselves as GMO Free Zones.

The following 26 localities have declared themselves as GMO Free Zones:

• 2 cities: Nasaud, Sangeorz-Bai, and
• 24 communes: Chiochis, Chiuza, Cosbuc, Dumitra, Feldru, Ilva-Mare, Ilva - Mica, Lesu, Lunca - Ilvei, Maieru, Magura - Ilvei, Nimigea, Nuseni, Parva, Poiana Ilvei, Rebra, Rebrisoara, Rodna, Romuli, Runcu Salvei, Salva, Sant, Telciu, Zagra.

All of them are part of the Association for the Environmental Protection and the Preservation of Watter Resources Pro Somes.

The GMO Free Zones declaration represents the official commitment of local authorities, to the extent of their legal and organizational powers, to cultivate no GMOs on their land. Also, the local authorities are asking the relevant national and regional politicians to make sure that no GM plant is will be cultivated this year and in the future in the entire country and to ensure them that the rights of the farmers who want to produce GM-free crops are in future legally protected and that all suitable measures are employed in order to avoid any GM contamination of their land and harvest.

Roundup Ready Soybeans banned in Romania

In February 2006, the Romanian government decided to ban the growing of Roundup Ready soybeans from 1. January 2007. Permits to continue growing in 2006 will be given only under special conditions. This is a major blow to Monsanto's strategy to use the country, where last year around 140.000 hectares were planted to the GM soybeans, as a hub to introduce GMO cultivation in Europe.

Contact

The National Federation of Organic Farmers
Dan Craioveanu - GMO Campaign Coordinator
phone: +40 788 416 409
email: dan@ngo.ro
website: www.gmo.ro/gmo-free