WASHINGTON - April 26 - Twenty Greenpeace activists will today present EU Agriculture Ministers at a meeting in Luxembourg with the clear message: "Europe says No to GMOs" [1]. The ministers will decide whether or not to allow a genetically modified sweet corn onto the European food market.

A giant shopping trolley containing 800 kilos of maize, labelled as genetically modified, along with 15 outsized corn cobs decorated with scary monster faces, will welcome the ministers to remind them of the overwhelming opposition to GM Food among European consumers.

"Today's decision is a slap in the face for European consumers and we're not going to let it stay hushed up behind closed doors," said Eric Gall of Greenpeace. "Our governments are being asked to wave through a highly controversial GMO under pressure from the European Commission and biotech firms supported by the US government. Ministers should instead stand up for consumers, reject Bt-11 and take action to tighten up the current slack evaluation procedures [2]. Consumers and the environment deserve better."

For further information please contact:

In Luxembourg

Eric Gall, Greenpeace EU policy adviser on GMOs (French, English), tel +32 496 161 582

Alexander Hissting, Greenpeace GMO campaigner (German, English), tel +49 171 878 1185

Katharine Mill, Greenpeace EU media officer (English, French), tel +32 496 156 229

In Amsterdam

Mhairi Dunlop, Greenpeace International media officer, tel +31 646 233 698

For further information about the Greenpeace Global Campaign against GE please go to www.greenpeace.org/stopGMO

Note:

[1] The EU Agriculture Council on 26 April in Luxembourg will consider a European Commission proposal to allow the marketing of Bt-11, a genetically modified sweet maize variety produced by Swiss firm Syngenta. This is the first time EU ministers will vote on a GMO application since the Environment Council set in place a de facto moratorium on new approvals in June 1999. If Ministers do not reject the proposal with a qualified majority, the Commission can authorise the maize regardless, and has already said it intends to do so.

[2] Read Greenpeace brief: 'The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA): Failing Consumers and the Environment' at http://weblog.greenpeace.org/ge/archives/ESFA.pdf

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