International

SP Euro-MP Kartika Liotard fears that the EU is conducting negotiations with the US over laws governing the introduction of cloned meat and says she has "concrete evidence", contained in an email which she read out during questions to the European Commission, that discussions with the Americans have been held "on strategies for explaining cloned meat to the broad public". In Brussels this morning, EU Health and Consumer Policy Commissioner John Dalli denied that such negotiations had taken place "with the US or with anyone else", and declared that he knew nothing about the e-mail in which they are mentioned. In his reaction to hearing the email read out loud, Dalli referred instead to a “dialogue” to which the Americans had been invited.

“It would be enormously damaging to trust if it were to come out that the European Commission were conducting negotiations over the introduction of cloned meat, which we have voted against. If the European Parliament says no then we don't mean yes. Meat from cloned animals does not belong in the food chain,” said Kartika Liotard. Dalli promised to produce a position paper on the issue within six months, but Liotard responded by saying that she found it "scandalous if the Commission, with no position of its own, and knowing that the Parliament is completely opposed, goes off the talk with the Americans who want to put it on to the market."

On Tuesday the European Parliament's Committee for Food Safety considered for a second time a report from Liotard on novel foods. In 2009 she won broad support for her proposals, garnering 658 votes in the European Parliament plenary, a massive majority. The report concerned questions such as: how to protect the consumer from cloned meat being brought to market; what exotic foods, with an eye to food safety, may be marketed? What demands should be placed on novel, previously unused ingredients? How far should we go in allowing nanotechnology in food? Today in Committee, the plenary's support was repeated, the measure having to be approved twice before it becomes policy. This time it was carried by 49 votes to two, a clear statement, inter alia, in favour of a ban on cloned meat. It will now go to plenary for a second time.