[size=75:p0ue5muv]novinite 31 January 2010

Bulgarians Rise in Protest again Genetically Modified Organisms

Several hundred Bulgarians protested against the allowing of genetically modified organisms by the country’s legislation.

The protest before the National Library building was organized by the “For the Nature” coalition and an “initiative committee of citizens and parents.”

“We Don’t Want GMO”, “Bulgaria Free of GMO”, and “We Are the Real Environment Ministry”, shouted the several hundred protesters which included a number of mothers with very young kids as representatives of parents’ organizations.

“I am not sure whether the decision to adopt the GMO Act is the result of incompetence on part of the Environment Ministry who might have decided to harmonize Bulgaria’s legislation with that of the EU by liberalizing everything,” said lawyer Svilen Ovcharov from the “Green Advocates” association.

He pointed out that the decision to back GMO in Bulgaria would affect the popularity of all political parties which support it.

Lawyer Ovcharov mentioned that the Parliamentary Group of the ruling GERP party was willing to introduce further guarantees over the allowing of GMO in Bulgaria.

Agricultural producers’ associations – who were also among the protesters – issued a declaration saying that the government was hiding behind EU directives and that the GMO introduction would only serve the interests of a tiny group of privileged people.

They have expressed their extreme concern over the introduction of GMO in the Bulgarian environment.

After gathering before the National Library, the protesters headed for the National Palace of Culture marching along several downtown Sofia boulevards.

The GMO Act is currently between the period of its first and second reading in the Bulgarian Parliament.

On January 13, 2010, the Parliament adopted at first reading the GMO act. According to environmentalists, it is a first step towards allowing GMO in Bulgaria. According to the head of the Agriculture Committee, Desislava Taneva, the law provided for very harsh limitations against the launching of GMO in the Bulgarian environment and on the Bulgarian market.

The law stipulates that in order to allow a GMO in Bulgaria, an approval would be needed by a special committee of 15 scientists, public debate, consultations with the European Commission, and all other EU member states.

Amidst the initial protests at the beginning of January, Taneva also promised further limitations at second reading – including the approval of the Parliament and not stripping the Environment Minister of allowing a certain GMO if the scientists’ committee decided against it.