Germany sees GM research exodus
German Handelsblatt (Via Financial Times)
August 23, 2001
BERLIN. Legal uncertainties surrounding genetically modified crops in Germany are increasingly leading the country's biotechnology and seed companies to shift their research in this area to North America, Handelsblatt has learned.
'We've we won't be carrying out any more field trials in Germany for this year,' said seed company Norddeutsche Pflanzenzucht (NPZ). This sentiment is echoed by other leading seed producers such as KWS, the world’s leading producer of seeds for sugar beet crops.
And the story’s the same when it comes to small biotechnology firms such as MPB Cologne, which is working on the extraction of proteins from potatoes for use in production of pharmaceuticals. ‘In Canada we’ll find that the legal framework conditions are simply more secure,’ said MPB managing director Klaus Duehring.
Some biotech and seed firms are still in talks with German universities on research cooperations. But most of these are limited to the laboratory-based early stages of research. The number of field plantation trials has fallen from a good 400 in 1998 to what will be a very small number this year. Germany is quickly losing its position as a leading researcher into genetically modified crops, according to Jens Katzek, managing director at biotech industry association Deutsche Industrievereinigung Biotechnologie (DIB).
In DIB’s view, the main reason for the research exodus is to be found in the legal uncertainties surrounding field plantation trials. The bone of contention is whether itÃs acceptable for minimal traces of genetically modified crops to be transferred onto neighboring crops grown from conventional seeds. Germany's Agricultural Minister Renate Kuehnast of the environmentalist Greens is insisting that transfer levels should not exceed zero. This line is also taken by a number of federal states governed by the Social Democrats (SPD), the senior party in GermanyÃs ruling coalition.
But the center-right opposition parties are arguing that upper limits should be imposed, since there's no way of stopping some seed transfer via pollination. They point out that before approval is granted for field trials, they have to be examined for likely effects by scientific research agency Robert Koch Institute.
The government in the north-east German state of Brandenburg has just ordered the destruction of conventional crops because genetically modified particles were found among the seeds from which they were grown. This follows a similar incident in the north German state of Schleswig-Holstein.
The company involved, NPZ, said separate analyses had shown no sign of contamination at all. It said instead of compensating the farmers, it is considering taking legal action against Brandenburg state. But it also said to be made liable for damages in cases such as this one would present such a threat to its existence that it will no longer be making transgenetic seeds available for research in Germany.
The German government is making DM36.4 million available from its annual research budget for research into phytogenetic safety. But according to Handelsblatt information, applications for plantation trials involving sugar beet and rape have dried up completely.
Agricultural Minister Kuehnast faces a dilemma over genetically modified crops. On the one hand, the laissez-faire attitude shown by governments in some parts of the world mean that itÃs no longer possible to guarantee that all crops are free from genetic modification.
On the other hand, she wants to secure the maximum freedom of choice for consumers. For this reason, she intervened at the last minute to block the commercial planting in Germany of Artuis, the first genetically modified maize variety.