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HOUSE OF LORDS SESSION 1998-99 2nd REPORT SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES EC REGULATION OF GENETIC MODIFICATION IN AGRICULTURE EVIDENCE Ordered to be printed 15 December 1998 LONDON: THE STATIONERY OFFICE £2930 HE Paper 11-1 HOUSE OF LORDS SESSION 1998-99 2nd REPORT ~ SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES EC REGULATION OF GENETIC MODIFICATION IN AGRICULTURE EVIDENCE | Ordered to be printed 15 December 1998 LONDON: THE STATIONERY OFFICE £29.30 HL Paper 11-II “1 ald ei Piva Ns) Pe By P pe I* Sidinsthe pene, CONTENTS Page ORAL AND WRITTEN EVIDENCE Professor John Beringer and Professor Derek Burke Caley IOeNGoe evi yt OOs (PEGICSSOF DGTIOGEL) .hi2cceccni eccecsas esat eco dgeusesssacgtcsrdeseddcesabeae scan ds l Me Eed ev ienCe me LOL meOr SUL Reh irictet ver eraisecs ces re Met entrarrtrias wate 9 Oral Evidence, 13 May 1998 (Professor Beringer and Professor Burke)..............ccccccceceeeeeees i Zeneca Agrochemicals and Zeneca Plant Science MSE WE S099Y) O eRe sn ain gl ARAN 5 02 ale dl AM Bar ROC RE OO in Ponce ee Ra 19 Cort vatleteer SsJ UNCA SOG 52), eee ete. eor ertsic Birateesrremevetieeree ue hee 24 SY nasF PG Wad VALE UMi g Oot 11S pocesopmsans <n dra tealpen reper pM AR PPE REO Get tints ttn pon’ bpea pnier ae by, Greenpeace Ltd NAM Shp odO LY ToN e at het lead nce aie an fe eddie ee REED REET AIRS By tty dell Aree 55 HOTA SA Ta Ep ae UR DFP TeakB ENE Bc 770 AR GE 1 RA A FO CM NE 42 Biter tetrieiital Vav yC IEL VICE NCO rs eer hed ws sity akedunocietied cmibhisadidviert cate oem etiam: 48 Consumers’ Association EMM CCL Cotter er tt se acusc reir nes apecconiecsavaaamteoeccentcenscrtteaieenrtt rerrneicnt et s 50 “iyod cd ate ee)r eo LN TEV CaRr g Fa cata ney aU ap ae iA ae RO BEER APRN, pape tv ere ven 54 Iceland Group plc SS PEL ROMaT oS1 t eo de at oS CREPE lacie oat AR ROR BO Cea nN NAY Cae RPE ROBE AY bed et prot 62 SGU Sa Ti1e 8. “TLIDSUCDT t eta! ich aleaind mo SRA a pet SAUER AA pn he miller nts hebempery nh tiehy ot da. 65 Green Alliance OG ASHEfatS ate s oles erie! oalpeprat gedit nsaah Lenape ie aver lon behets tbebanmtat cl Seborp es ies 72 HE UCESS Sp Gt gr eV aL VR BAe oho 8ho ta barr ed cle ge aR REEL eh ry ecient a ele 73 Safeway Stores plc WAGER a eC LLTE Fo Soi es ar INR een ERRAND ee BtP rea cid ALDER icf RPI 48 pibeeNernat intere y RenetRiCe htpr e AR 84 ep ST ra (Vidd aa C1) i RE Be es ppt ietipratt a9 een acts paeberd ae hOH a RRR. BB RESELL Fe TRAD ri cortghaedli i 90 National Farmers Union of England and Wales AWLP a eLA ALAe l 9.5 wh rig AR oo las vi ha cent oneal Mle a ve palo opmen b ete ch pinen retier darian Ae ere 97 abigey PsTaa!S ty s td C242 8Ea EL OME Ah pehelgaten Amn dain eitp hp Rnni ie \-pbige a ak nan ambled eran and bee e ete Rie ee teed 121 Monsanto Services International S.A./N. V. OORT TLS ylhet aR, | Sah AU tea vce RUE A Mae SRM SRA PAO PPR MRS REO IR TAR IaL WROD bans, eater ork 132 Bouts COU aE RAPIEART U RNS TURRET CRIN ee tet ners eee cesses ss et ee thar detcdand: forckeseessnansreeveeseeeretns 138 ATES Oy Tee oe A EAT BALt eG edo em bay Ghat ite ecm bin ePRna Lat er eet Ober Me asere pnt dy reep ry 141 United States Department of Agriculture WULF ny SUGT TTO TD oE« ec te OEM atae a ed dle a etn, IE APDb eyt ly. ohanhp pene ne imenee Nepmer hier Peaiteree 155 TRUDE GfS olie ekg | NU A seen SG Atom, adenine tareyeareane rie acteieiprr len seprter int reet ryt)h ers 159 POTD DPR ELT ENSG 7 Oe Ta ult io akan NR Ange Me de bn he oe be alas Bea eamncry tne tie rary branth t 168 United Kingdom Government Officials AAT e VU iC NT aa etcr rae tek reeae sycr ee A caecenee errr taaer tas teoteeese sted caetiens serait iteasnetostucstons 182 lyi E E Co oa Fatt hot gli td eae daly atthe oP URE ae RM aie obh ie er err urea ryh ie. oc ce h iiaed ro Pea SUeTI NANE NY ESO EeI CME Oh ehc rys te a erste sss toaneateeaars ctasscags teseaaga ier -tenaseieaetpeiasce cavtre ss seeks 206 Professor Mark Williamson WET MLTiD all a ae Gp Ac), ARE gale NR he rea 2 eer eee nee Mer Mr riche Spee rectt eth rrticr 213 Pree Pa etn 20d OL Vk Poth cnc ene hire tice sastescosunastBrics sca, AanePavctassareeouctactutcrtteaent teiaerscees se cs 217 4 Food and Drink Federation Oral Evidence, 14 October 1996 socroar radcec cnc ub Unceen anp xcactaetraan tr hee n ernr ine 231 United Biscuits (UK) Limited Oral Evidence, 14. October 1996) cri ee hs ete acca cae a hase ee ve a eee ca 240 Rt Hon Michael Meacher MP, Minister for the Environment, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and Mr Jeffrey Rooker MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Oral Evidence, 2T October ToS: cneac ret voce tae teen ieee eas ange aR pea dn 248 Professor Philip James and Dr Andrew Chesson Oral Evidence,'28 October Toga eras creeeck cot avec odiest eee Mane pe meLIR ent Ie re hec an 263 Professor Janet Bainbridge Oral Evidence’ 4 November 996 58 ies oes enc oak ay incewes gan tes dena Memea un ree oie ne a ene pa | WRITTEN EVIDENCE A QTE VO8. 2. ccnssotsssnctessonaseomnasstes tes tedsitapiea tediattte aiapadsine dja tcletdsatelipr east sakes diaa ame keer ae See 203 American Soybean ASsSociation 12... ..cdicsssasgsanscctedonrsncasenssane@nyesasvn sbceactla<e etait iereabvmane s 294 Austrian Embassy :..5,.0.1-0tuee2ddie.n C-icainat eeses trt soecis aeseer Dcianse esnnao anS csen nunas ss 296 British Society of Plant Breeders Pimited yi a. tateeeeee yeaten earesc tt pnee eae eee 298 Canadian High Commission ci ic ete katate canteen ened Meee Sante 2s eet on Mit Mark Cantley (gcc ssc acs eae emia ek ca gs GREE ORR mR Fale yard cr 300 Gonsumers in-Europe Group 53 cj0sscctedesen ne asded cnac cobc gat eenS easn ekae ueenge eaRnc teenes 307 Co-operative Wholesalé Society ca.nccgsp cnet dulecenstse sanctus teeta ere Rime gh Tasewicpauiess Grvacalas desig Tae 310 Professor John. Durant .cQq cheeses otis ase ot aeeaettea ame toate ante teeta ee a cnc ei 312 English Nature, Scottish Natural Heritage, Countryside Council for Wales and Joint Nature G@onservation Committed yi0,.. cngdaacdasgeeas alae hres testaned sie suatane cater me een Mian ae ie ce 317 BuropaBio ...c2..3,..0idiied-saoepustcs ods tyanapeseus Gran desea Cae g ott alls ee en enene itesS ee ie ee sc 326 Food and Drink Federations: cei. Sis canes eae ee nena eS cee ee ee 331 Gren Watch 0. ssbsdees nod Sapilbeas Be claeas eases seek cap ee ol wisathals 00s Ue ane React oe oe cr 334 Dp Chris Gliddonn ic 3.4i s, -csnsscesdansctonaceteas oes cbatdobketeapeteastccs | sttee te ete Nena A eee ea nana 2 ae? a 33) Professor Barrie Gunter .icc:cit-sitabeosssscntenlstesnncsst pe eoe mention ey Mena ateaey coe eaee Cakes pase 342 Health-and Safety! Executive 2. 5 220.0.5505.5.jccero alacant deat ete 347 Horticulture Research International). /s.cc0:sregteaisniert isceie tero eeen s 351 Embassy of the Republic of Hungary 3...--: Sctassssccsseet acces tresses te ta ea 6ie r Institute of Arable Crop Research 1.02..<cacd. cdscterteosesgpaetecar std ences aecshatemeen ener cce arent te ee 354 Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research ::.....ss+.-sascfantsoacsssacecgucsetssee-ass pena 356 Embassy of Japann i ncssdsccschutespovecetecenso mise cara: Meahcease et tent te dees tae folic oka te yeeret ae © anne 356 Lohan Innes 'Cerntre yo sitcsso bncap soe sh<reeghedywanedben togate ne See tren mere a, gata a Cc: eee a5 EGC Limited 22. ciccdsesyectDcost sdaaly Mnisutnaiees ntinPt: rAte, yaes, deaaep, ectngi antcan l 358 National Office of Animal Health Limited. /2.sctc.-cic asics casas eae aes stencil 366 Nestlé: UK Ltd iis2c isteach condita cSanoon8h'ccadod pee coacetetee act MCI ate oie oh eres 367 Novartis UK Ltd icici caeecectacdishcetecs Sega pee inet eetaas eee) eerie een 370 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development .............cccccscccsseeeseesssseereessscenseens ofc Reovision Trade Becepation 22 01./..ccsontet neec etce nestaaln euccf nastpenc teus mcamee eaeanee e 381 Royal’ Netherlands Embassy ci.) ail... ashacect eee bane ace ne eae 383 Royal Society for, the Protection of Birds. :2./e,e7e ..easese 384 ESapimsbury ples. 40. caotvagersscvotsl odie seches Utaeeo dadn esMs teoe varee siasat 387 Segtch Whisky. ASSOCtattony iccssnndcensacteeecnye aagvatae ltuikl geyia leoen cuee)t ai eacceee s 389 Soll ASSOCIALION iio ete secpecesnesatsecccest Ase tvopcenn'scask acl aca ee neta toe AD oy TE a ee 390 Spamish Bmbassy :.13 sie. ctcccticsvsseosi- dsseeh sestae tsMimel aonie cGs aceead tuage r 398 Unilever plc .,.2:.tesaedscraleesnaionasstSuceb onnMaohs oiieebei asessecaa dsh 402 United Biscuits (UR) Wamited 2563205 .cc0 heccsetteecl cece ee 404 United Nations Industrial Development Organizatio ...........c.ccccsccsessssecsssecesecesccssesceeeecacseseeees 405 Dr phil) 1 René von Schomberg «<4, <;<sns0cecssacs lap diate yeaee eee ne te 406 United Biscuits (UK) Limited (Supplementary and further Supplementary) eee eee eee eee eee eee eee ee ey Food and Drink Federation (Supplementary),........00.:::sscccsersossereoesscssossrceoes Peewee meme e es ereeesereeses MINUTES OF EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES COMMITTEE (SUB-COMMITTEE D) WEDNESDAY 13 MAY 1998 Present: Gallacher, L. Rathcavan, L. Gisborough, L. Reay, L. (Chairman) Grantchester, L. Redesdale, L. Jopling, L. Wade of Chorlton, L. Moran, L. Willoughby de Broke, L. Examination of witnesses PROFESSOR JOHN BERINGER, Dean of Science, University of Bristol and Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Releases into the Environment, called in and examined. Chairman pollen to other crops. So the basic system is to look at the possible harm that could arise from a release; to 1. Good morning, Professor Beringer. Thank you look at the way it is being managed to ensure that harm very much for coming to give evidence to us. As this does not occur. If it does not look as if it will be safe, is the first public session of this enquiry I should like we ask for more information or a strengthening of the to precede my remarks on the subject by declaring a management. If we were to believe that someone was farming interest, largely as a grassland farmer, but I not competent to manage the risk, then we would might conceivably one day have an interest in certainly prevent it happening. There have been two genetically modified crops although I am not aware of cases where we have not given approval. One was for it today. Could I perhaps ask you, Professor Beringer, a non-indigenous insect and the other was for a to introduce yourself and explain the role that you play genetically modified insect, where we just did not see in the regulation of genetic modification in agriculture that the applicant was going to be able to overcome (Professor Beringer) Good morning, my Lord the problems. Chairman. I am the Dean of Science at the University of Bristol. I have been Chairman of the Advisory Committee on Releases into the Environment and the Lord Moran Committees that preceded it for about 11 years now. 3. Are the possible risks that you referred to in the My involvement in this area started about 15 years public domain? Are they known? ago, when I tried to interest the Ministry of Agriculture in setting up some form of system to look at the release A. The possible risks would not be in detail in the public domain. What happens is that the application to of genetically modified organisms; so I have been involved right from the very beginning before things make a release is in the public domain. If you ferret were even released. I have also worked during this around hard enough you will find all of these. What you will not find is our full discussion where we try time, on a consultancy basis and otherwise, with the to draw out of the application from our own European Commission, the OECD, the UN, the USDA and various countries around the world in developing experience, what we believe the true risks are, relative to those that are proposed. There is no mechanism for thoughts about regulations and guidelines. My actual all of that discussion to be in the public domain. role, I believe, is to ensure that the best quality advice is provided to make assessments of the risks of releasing genetically modified organisms; and also that Lord Rathcavan the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions provides good quality advice and guidelines 4. How do you physically manage and control to people who wish to make releases, so they prepare these risks, Professor Beringer? What staff do you what they are going to do sensibly. have available and how often do they carry out site Chairman] Thank you. Lord Gallacher. visits? A. The situation is that the Health and Safety Executive takes the responsibility for the Department. Lord Gallacher It has inspectors who visit sites to ensure that 2. Professor Beringer, the Sub-Committee was experiments are conducted as they should be. Not all told that no field trial experiment notification has ever sites are visited in one year. The tendency is to ensure been turned down. Could you explain the procedure that people who are doing something new, or are new which ensures minimal risk, but which appears to to us, are visited to ensure that they are competent. I accept every application to release a modified crop. have to say that of all the releases we have approved A. We assess the probability that harm will arise to date, there are none for which there has been any from a release. Always you can control the harm that form of serious concern for environmental harm. So will arise by the way you manage a release. If you there has not had to be very intensive supervision to fence an animal in you can prevent it straying. If you make sure that serious damage would not occur. It is stop crops from forming flowers they cannot transfer conceivable that crops will be made in the future to 2 EVIDENCE TAKEN BEFORE THE 13 May 1998] PROFESSOR JOHN BERINGER [Continued [Lord Rathcavan Contd] carry genes that produce pharmaceutically active applications which may come in the future which products, which would be a great value in medicine would cause that application to be turned down. I am but which must definitely not enter the food chain. We thinking of a similar one to the pharmaceutical one would then be much more in a position of requiring a which you mentioned earlier. very efficient system to ensure that those were A. Idid not say that the pharmaceutical one would managed properly, but we have not had that need to be turned down. I said that I thought this is a date. development which could be very valuable but these crops would have to be kept very separate from the food chain. What we would wish to turn down would Lord Willoughby de Broke be the introduction of, let us say, the introduction of 5. There was a report in last week’s Guardian— peanut protein gene into wheat or some other crop that this is not field trial experiments, I agree—but about a could enter the food chain, and people would eat food large-scale organic vegetable grower who was then with a very well-known, very serious alleren. I concerned that the pollen from close-by genetically can find no possible excuse for wanting to make a modified maize may contaminate his own crops. Do release of that nature. However, if there was some you have a view on the risk of that? Is that a real scientific reason why that needed to be done for a risk which should be properly quantified and growers proper understanding of science, I think we could warned about, or is that a newspaper scare story? come to an agreement with a very high degree of very A. It is a very interesting story, if it is the same stringent management so that this could be accepted. one as I know about which is in Devon, where the But it would be very, very hard to approve. We are organic farm is about 500 metres from a variety trial going to have difficulties in terms of what is coming for seed registration. with crops such as frost tolerant potatoes, where these potatoes will become a greater problem in following 6. That is right. crops than potatoes already are. After a mild winter, A. My feeling about this is that what we are going existing potato crops can cause severe weed problems to be looking at here is a very, very low frequency in following crops. It is usually frost that controls the with which pollen from the genetically modified maize problem. So I can see this will be a difficulty but I will enter the organic maize. This means that a few think the agronomic benefits will be higher than the kernels out of all the cobs produced may contain the agronomic disadvantages of increased weediness. We gene from the genetically modified maize. The would need to work that one through and understand situation is that the kernel you actually eat is produced properly what might be other environmental by the plant growing in the field. It does not contain implications. It is very difficult, as you are seeing, to any of the gene products from the pollen which has identify things that we could not possibly allow. come from the genetically modified maize.’ So all that can be consumed is derived from the original parent but will have an extra gene that it did not have before. Lord Gisborough Therefore, the risks of any harm to people are 8. Could you say to what extent (if at all) diesel absolutely negligible. I recognise that there are rape could cross-fertilise with the edible rape as one concerns that if people are growing organically, is inedible. so-called pure food, they do not want it to be A. That very much depends on which way the bees contaminated with something they do not like. Of are flying; how much pollen is available and how close course, the situation is that anyone growing maize, the adjacent crop is. The frequency of cross-pollination genetically modified or not, that maize is transferring could be really quite high. If you were saving seed and genes which are not in the organic maize, so it is resowing it, you would have a significant proportion— always contaminated by any adjacent maize. It is the maybe 10 per cent at a high level—in your following nature of the gene that is derived from the genetically crop. In order to give approval for any genetically modified product, which is the cause of the problem, modified crop to produce higher levels of oil that could but as far as I am concerned is not a cause for harm. be used as a diesel substitute, that would have to be taken into consideration. But the oil which is produced Lord Jopling from rape to use as a diesel substitute is oil that we eat anyway so it is not a nutritional threat. 7. Before I begin I should, like the Chairman, declare an interest as a farmer. I am also a member of the National Farmers’ Union. You gave us two Lord Jopling examples of where applications have been turned down, and you gave us one hypothetical example 9. Professor Beringer, ACRE tells us that it works where in the future you could foresee an application on a precautionary basis, by giving advice to Ministers being turned down. Could you speculate a little further on the conditions which should be attached to a and tell us what are the general headings of where you consent. Could you tell us what ACRE does to ensure could imagine there being reservations about either of that those lessons which are learnt from field trials, are those applications which are now in the pipeline, or used by ACRE and other bodies in assessing further aS AEaiE asi iD OE chai ahs2 R ayt skb eeen implications from either the same applicant, as an ' Professor Beringer qualifies this by adding that the embryo and earlier one, or new applicants. the endosperm will contain some products made by genes derived A. Yes, of course, I can. However, I think the from the male parent. difficulty in answer to this question is that nearly all