GMO-free zones in the Nordic Region

"It is important that the consumers have a choice when it comes to deciding which products to buy," says committee member Ville Niinistö, who is also a member of the Centre Group on the Council. "If consumers are to be empowered to make a choice, then the products that contain GMO must be properly labelled." The idea of proper labelling of GMO products to protect consumer rights to make informed choices originally stemmed from the Centre Group.

The committee also recommends that the Nordic governments provide subsidisies for agricultural and industry associations that volunteer to introduce GMO-free zones in the Region. The Committee is also calling for the Nordic Region to encourage the EU to start recognising GMO-free zones. The proposal for GMO-free zones was submitted by the Left-wing Socialist and Green Group.

"Introducing GMO-free zones, which will also produce organic food, will make Nordic agricultural produce synonymous with top quality," Niinistö explains.

The Nordic countries have significantly different views and practices when it comes to the production of GMO agricultural products, as the Citizens' and Consumer Rights Committee found out when it met with a working party that has compared the countries on this issue.

According to the working party, all the Nordic countries base their legislation on knowledge and in-depth studies. It also considers as negligible the risk of contamination spreading from a GMO field to other fields in the vicinity. Compensation schemes have, however, been introduced for anybody who might suffer inadvertent financial losses because of contamination demonstrably caused by a GMO field.