EC BST 7 yr ban
Alan Furchtenicht (FURCHT@macc.wisc.edu)
Wed, 25 Aug 93 16:12 CDT
Text of forwarded message follows:
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To: Recipients of conference "env.biotech"
<env.biotech@conf.igc.apc.org>
EC BANS BGH FOR SEVEN YEARS
This morning, the European Commission placed a seven year ban on
the use of the synthetic bovine growth hormone (BGH) which is often
referred to by its brand name, Bovine Somatotropin (BST). "The
marketing and use of BST within the (European) Community should
be prohibited for a period of seven years" said a statement adopted
by the Commission today. A press release from the European Greens
said that the decision was based on research conducted over the past
three years that showed smaller dairies would be driven out of
business. Approval would also go against last spring's reforms of the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) which sought to reduce dairy
production. The Commission overruled opinions from its own
bioethics committee and Committee on Veterinary Medicinal
Products which said BGH met their standards of safety, quality and
efficacy. The Commission's ruling pointed out that these conditions
could only be met in controlled environments and current dairy
practices would have to undergo substantial changes to meet the
conditions. "This was the very first product of gene technology
which the biotech industry tried to force down our throats. It's
rejection by the Community is a great victory for consumers, who
have insisted that it is simply not safe -- neither for cows nor for
humans," said Hillrud Breyer of the German Greens.
The ban came in spite of a study by Professor Allan Buckwell of Wye
College at London University which was released on Monday. The
study, entitled "The Socio-Economic Effects of Bovine Somatotropin
(BST) -- A European Review," concluded that BST should be approved
for use because if used properly, it will increase the efficiency of
dairy operations. "Its selective use would enable farmers to buy and
support fewer cows with all the overhead economies of
accommodation, maintenance [and] feeding ... which this entails," said
a statement by the European Federation of Animal Health which sent
Buckwell's report to EC Farm Minister Rene Steichen yesterday. "The
market should be allowed to decide ... rather than accepting artificial,
politically inspired restrictions, based on ill-informed, biased or
misleading evidence," said the statement.
Source: "Bovine Growth Hormone Dead in European Community,"
GREEN GROUP IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESS RELEASE, July
13, 1993; "BST Milk Would Boost EC Efficiency, Report Says," REUTER,
July 12, 1993.