President delays signing GMO seed law

The head of state held consultations with experts, Wednesday, but has yet to come to a decision on whether to sign the so-called “Seed Law” which has been passed by both houses of parliament.

As the president consulted with a team of scientists and legal experts, protestors gathered outside the Presidential Palace chanting “No to GMO”.

Main critics of the seed bill, including Jadwiga Lopata from the International Coalition to Protect the Polish Countryside (ICPPC), maintain that a key phrase in the bill, which unilaterally disallows GM seeds in Poland, was taken out, leaving the law ambiguous in the matter.

“We think that this act was done in a strange way [which tries] to cover that we will not recognise that this is in fact an act which is opening Poland up to GMO planting, and that’s what the President is also referring to,” Lopata told Polish Radio reporter John Beauchamp.

Komorowski said later that he lamented the fact that there had been little or no public debate concerning the law in Poland.

The president underlined, however, that he is a supporter of GMO, and said that no convincing scientific proof had been produced to show that the technology is harmful to humans or the environment.

The apprehension among some sections of society, said the president, could be calmed down through a public debate.

On Wednesday the head of state forwarded a letter to Prime Minister Donald Tusk asking for more information on the stand of ministries on the effects of genetically modified crops on health, environment and ecological safety.

The president has to take a decision not later than 24 August.

The bill was supported in parliament by the ruling Civic Platform/Polish Peasant's Party coalition after a previous law banning GM passed in 2006 was referred to the EU Court of Justice for failing to fulfill obligations under European Union law. (pg/ab/jb)