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P A N U P S
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Pesticide Action Network
North America
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Action Alert
Last Chance to Stop Life Patenting in European Union
On March 1, 1995, the European Parliament will take a final
vote on the European Commission's proposed directive that
would allow the patenting of life (Legal Protection of
Biotechnological Inventions). The directive, which has been
the subject of intense controversy since it was first tabled
in 1988, will allow the patenting of plants, animals and
human beings. The conciliation procedure between Parliament
and the Council reached a so-called "compromise" on the final
day of negotiations; it was essentially a capitulation since
the European Parliament did not achieve any of its goals, not
even its prime mandate -- no patenting of human genes.
The final vote is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1, in
Brussels (with a slight chance of delay until March 14). Only
a simple majority of votes cast is required for adoption of
the directive. Abstention counts as non-support of the
directive, and therefore equals a "no" vote. If less than 51%
of the votes cast are in favor, then the directive is dead.
For everyone critical of the patenting of life -- be it for
ethical, social, political or scientific reasons -- the
European Union vote is crucial. It will not only decide the
fate of European law but will send a forceful message to all
countries of the world about whether this trend is to be
condoned or condemned.
You can influence this vote. To facilitate your voice being
heard, GRAIN is circulating the following letter for your
signature. Please circulate it as widely as possible! We will
present the letter with the names of all those who endorse it
to all Members of the European Parliament on the morning of
February 28. Therefore, should you wish to sign on, you must
contact GRAIN with your name, organization and country via
phone, fax or email by February 27, 1995, at 17:00 Barcelona
time.
At the same time, European NGOs working at the national level
are strongly encouraged to contact their MEPs directly in the
coming days.
Contact: Renee Vellve (to register your signature)
GRAIN; phone (34-3) 301 13 81; fax (34-3) 301 16 27; email
grain@gn.apc.org
Linda Bullard (for further information); Green Group in the
European Parliament; phone/fax (32-2) 284 20 26; email
epggeng@gn.apc.org
A copy of the letter follows:
TO: ALL MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
FROM: (list of signatories)
RE: 1 March vote on "The Legal Protection of Biotechnological
Inventions"
Dear Member of Parliament,
We, the above-signed organizations, urge you to vote "no"
against the directive on "The Legal Protection of
Biotechnological Inventions." This directive will make it
lawful to obtain exclusive monopoly rights on plants, animals
and human beings within the European Union. This is, first
and foremost, morally unacceptable. The directive you are
deciding upon would, in addition:
-- legalize the patenting of human genetic material and gene
therapies (including germline therapy); the Parliament
decided in May 1994 that parts of the human body (including
genes) should be excluded from patentability but the
Conciliation Committee has ignored this decision
-- prevent farmers from freely reproducing patented
livestock,and place restrictions on the re-use of patented
seed; Parliament requested a farmers' exemption in relation
to livestock but this has been denied
-- allow companies to claim ownership over entire species of
food crops, medicinal plants and livestock, thus
destabilizing the struggle for food security and self-
reliance in the Third World
-- denature the current patent system as a social institution
so that it applies to what many view as mere discoveries
(genetic sequences, etc.)
In essence, your vote will decide whether life itself should
be considered a mere commodity. Changes proposed over the
years by the Parliament are not reflected in the final draft.
You have the right and strength of many people behind you to
say "no" to this wholly unethical directive. If you feel the
issues are too complicated -- which partly explains the
eight-year delay in the vote -- then you should abstain from
attaching your name to this piece of legislation. History --
and the fate of agriculture, medical research, intellectual
justice and human dignity -- is in your hands and we will
carefully scrutinize the vote.
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