Erindi til Umhverfisstofnunar varрandi umsуkn um leyfi til ъtirжktunar б erfрabreyttu lyfjabyggi

(English version below)

Viр undirrituр vijum hйr meр koma eftirfarandi athugasemdum б framfжri viр Umhverfisstofnun varрandi umsуkn ORF Lнftжkni ehf um leyfi til ъtirжktunar erfрabreytts lyfjabyggs н нslensku umhverfi.

Tilkynning til ESB um umsуkn ORF Lнftжkni ehf.
Tilkynnt var um umsуkn ORF til Evrуpusambandsins (sjб opinbert vefsetur ESB um erfрabreyttar lнfverur www.gmoinfo.jrc.europa.eu, tilkynning nr. B/IS/09/01) юar sem юau бform ORF eru kynnt aр rжkta erfрabreytt bygg н Gunnarsholti yfir fimm бra tнmabil (2009-2013). Tilkynningin segir tilgang rжktunar vera in-field production of transgenic barley, comparison of cultivars, processing and purification of non-food, non-feed proteins. Ennfremur segir aр rжkta eigi б 200 mІ б fyrsta бri og svжрiр aukist н 10.000 mІ fram til 2013.

En miрaр viр gцgn юau sem birt eru б heimasнрu Umhverfisstofnunar hyggst ORF rжkta erfрabreytt bygg б 600 mІ бriр 2009 (ekki 200 mІ eins og sagt er б vef ESB), 2000 mІ бriр 2010 sнрan б allt aр 100.000 mІ eрa 10 ha (ekki 10.000 mІ eрa 1 ha eins og tilkynnt var til ESB). Upplэsingarnar benda til юess aр um tilraunir kunni aр vera aр rжрa fyrstu tvц бrin (600 mІ бriр 2009 og 2000 mІ бriр 2010), en aр sнрustu юrjъ бrin verрi um umfangsmikla framleiрslurжktun aр rжрa, ю.e. 100.000 mІ.

Ъtirжktun erfрabreyttra plantna verрi ekki leyfр
Leyfi til tilraunarжktunar erfрabreyttra lyfjaplantna eru yfirleitt innan viр 5000 mІ aр stжrр. Allt юar framyfir er unnt aр nota til framleiрslu fyrir markaр. Юaр mбtti sjб б fullyrрingu б upphaflegu vefsetri ORF um aр af einum ha erfрabreytts lyfjabyggs mжtti framleiрa 200-500 g af hreinu prуteini. Юaр sem н tilkynningu segir aр sй In-field production og processing and purification of proteins verрur ekki tъlkaр црruvнsi en aр framleiрa eigi til markaрssetningar/afhendingar. Юetta kemur einnig fram н бlitum meiri- og minnihluta rбрgjafarnefndarinnar sem tilgreina aр nota eigi leyfi til ъtirжktunar б nэjum byggyrkjum til framleiрslu og hreinsunar б prуteinum.

Юar sem Нsland er aрili aр EES-samningnum verрur юaр aр fylgja reglum ESB б sviрi erfрabreyttra lнfvera. Rжktun erfрabreyttra lyfjaplantna eru бhжttusamari en rжktun annarra erfрabreyttra plantna vegna hжttu б mengun matvжla og fурurs. ESB hefur aldrei leyft ъtirжktun erfрabreyttra lyfja- eрa iрnaрarplantna til framleiрslu fyrir markaр. Evrуpusambandiр leyfir aрeins rжktun einnar tegundar erfрabreyttra plantna til framleiрslu fyrir markaр, fурur- og matjurtarinnar Mon 810 maнs, en nъ hafa hinsvegar Austurrнki, Frakkland, Grikkland, Holland, Sviss, Ungverjaland og Юэskaland bannaр rжktun юess.

Viр krefjumst юess aр Umhverfisstofnun fylgi reglugerрum ESB um erfрabreyttar lнfverur og aр stofnunin hafni цllum umsуknum um leyfi til ъtirжktunar erfрabreyttra lyfjaplantna н нslenskri nбttъru. Slнkar plцntur б aр okkar mati eingцngu aр rжkta н plцntutegundum sem ekki eru notaрar til manneldis eрa fурrunar, innandyra н цryggishъsum og undir strцngu opinberu eftirliti. Н юaр minnsta ber ORF Lнftжkni aр halda rжktun sinni б erfрabreyttu lyfjabyggi innan ramma grурurhъsa sinna н Grindavнk.


A statement to the Environment Agency regarding application for a licence to grow GM medicine barley outdoors


We the undersigned, wish to respond to the Environment Agencys invitation for comments regarding a license application from ORF Lнftжkni ehf to grow GM medicine barley in the open environment in Iceland.

Notification to the EU of ORFs application
ORFs application was notified to the EU (see www.gmoinfo.jrc.europa.eu, EUs official website on GMOs) stating ORFs intent to grow GM barley (notification no. B/IS/09/01) at Gunnarsholt in South Iceland, over a five year period (2009-2013). The notification states that the purpose of the growing is in-field production of transgenic barley, comparison of cultivars, processing and purification of non-food, non-feed proteins. They state that the growing would be done on 200 mІ the first year gradually increasing to 10.000 mІ by 2013.

However, judging from the information supplied on the Environment Agencys website, ORF is applying to grow GM barley on 600 mІ in 2009 (not 200 mІ as notified to the EU), 2000 mІ in 2010 and then up to 100.000 mІ or 10 ha (not 10.000 mІ or 1 ha as notified to the EU). This information indicates that field trials may be conducted only in the first two years (600 mІ in 2009, and 2000 mІ in 2010), but that during the last three years growing will increase to a commercial scale of 100.000 mІ.

Outdoor growing of GM medicine crops must be kept indoors
Field trials for GM medicine crops are typically under 5000 mІ or half a hectare and anything over can be used for commercial growing. This can be seen from a statement made on ORFs original website where they noted that just one hectare of GM medicine barley can produce 2-500 g of pure protein. In-field production and the processing and purification of proteins is a commercial endeavour. This was confirmed by comments made by the Advisory Committee which stated that the license was to be used for the outdoor growing of new barley varieties for production and purification of proteins.

Iceland as a member of the EEA must follow EU regulations on GMOs. GM medicine crops are the most dangerous of all GM crops because they have the potential to contaminate the food and feed supply. The EU Commission has never approved a GM pharmaceutical or industrial crop to be grown outdoors commercially. At present only one GM food and feed crop, Mon 810 maize, is licensed for commercial growing in the EU, but this crop has been banned in Germany, France, Netherlands, Austria, Greece, Hungary and Switzerland.

We demand that the Environment Agency conforms to EU regulations on GM crops and refuses to grant any licenses to grow GM pharmaceutical (medicine) crops in the open environment in Iceland. GM medicine crops should only be grown in non-food, non-feed crops in secure indoor facilities under strict independent third party monitoring. ORF should, in the least, confine the growing of their GM medicine barley to the greenhouse facilities they now use in Grindavнk.