WESSEX
Wessex NLP returns from EU counter summit in Cardiff
Common Agricultural Policy reform should be "Food Reform"
Wessex News Release
NLP Leaders at Cardiff Euro Summit
Meeting
June 1998
NLP Counter Summit
Mark Griffiths, leader of the Natural Law Party for Wessex and NLP candidate for West Dorset in the last General Election, returned yesterday from a "counter-summit" held in Cardiff to coincide with the meeting of EU Heads of State held in the Welsh capital to mark the end of Britain’s presidency of the European Union.
The counter summit was attended by leaders of the Natural Law Party from across Europe including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom. The purpose of the counter summit was to review areas of particular weakness in the development of the EU exposed during the British Presidency, and to make proposals to the Governments of Member States for alternative strategies for quickly resolving outstanding issues.
"Ideal Europe 2000"
In response to "Agenda 2000" , the European Commission’s official proposals document for development of the Union during the period 2000 - 2006, the Natural Law Party drafted at its own summit meeting a new framework document for the future of the EU called "Ideal Europe 2000" setting out a more reliable strategy for the successful achievement of European integration, prosperity, security and quality of life. Issues addressed included economic development, employment, social cohesion, defence and foreign policy, the environment and reform of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The Cardiff Summit of Natural Law Parties voiced particular alarm that the proposed reforms could in fact encourage a deluge of foreign food imports into the Union which are of unknown standard in relation to food safety, animal welfare and protection of the environment. This situation, it claims, could have a devastating effect on both farmers incomes and the general health of the population.
Food Reform
The NLP "Ideal Europe 2000" document pays particular attention to the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, the cost of which under the Commission’s proposals will continue to increase in size taking 49% of the budget by 2006, or 59 billion ECU, despite the alleged reforms. According to Mr Griffiths:
"The Natural Law Parties of Europe recognise the enormous potential contribution the farmers of Europe can make to the overall well-being of society through ensuring a guaranteed supply of high quality food essential to maintain the vitality and health of all citizens. Unfortunately, although there are some minor moves in this direction, the current proposals do very little to specifically encourage a fundamental shift in the quality of food production within the Union."
World Trade Talks may cause deluge of dangerous GM food imports
The current proposals from the EU Commission are designed in part to meet the requirements of the World Trade Organisation Talks on agricultural trade due to commence in 1999. It is well known that the United States intends to use those talks to open up EU food markets to American imports, particularly genetically modified (GM) crops. Approximately 20% of major US crops will be genetically engineered in 1999. The Natural Law Party claims that the technology used to create genetically engineered crops violates well-established scientific principles regarding the healthy functioning of organisms and will inevitably at some point or other create extensive damage to human health and the environment. According to Mr Griffiths:
"The bio-technologists are ignoring the basic rules of their own science in the way this technology is being applied, with the result that potential human health and crop production problems are already starting to surface in the United States. This is not a problem of science or even commerce because the risks are already well known. The problem is one of consciousness - society as a whole is unable to recognise the implications of those risks because it does not have the ability to think holistically and to see the wider effects of the specialised technical aspects of genetic science in an overall context. Unless we are able expand the awareness of society as a whole we are heading for great misfortune in this and other areas."
Prime Minister of Finland receives NLP presentation on "coherence"
For this reason the Natural Law Party’s "Ideal Europe 2000" document recommends to all Heads of State that each country quickly adopts NLP educational and social programmes designed to create coherence in the collective consciousness of Europe as a whole. Heads of State will be receiving copies of the final document shortly.
In preparation for this, NLP delegates took the opportunity on Monday and Tuesday to make presentations on their proposals to official delegations, the international press, and politicians attending the EU summit meeting of Heads of State in Cardiff, including a personal presentation made to the Prime Minister of Finland, Mr Paavo Lipponen.
What
leading scientists have said about the programmes of the
Natural Law Party
Why consumers are concerned about
GM foods
Natural Law Party campaign to ban
genetically modified foods in Wessex
"Agenda
2000"
European Elections 1999
Natural
Law Parties around the globe
5th International Convention
of Natural Law Parties, Bonn, Germany, Report - July 98