History of GM crops in Romania

1. GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS:
THE BEGINNING OF THE END?
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

2. Genetically Modified Organisms
in Romania
“ Nobody has the right to commit the sacrilege to modify the genetic code.
…
The Sin whatever is happening under our eyes with the Governments’ approval
and money - with our money actually - because is not far away the day when
the biologist will start trafficking the genes and chromosomes.
…
As no human power is intervening to stop this, on the contrary declaring it
scientific activity and progress, the consequences of these activities are
incalculable.”
Robert Charroux, The Book of Mysterious Past
1973, Robert Laffont edition
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

3. Romania: GMO Beginnings
1996: Started the 3 years registration procedure for GM field varieties
1999: First GM crop commercial crop was launched on the market -
herbicide resistant soybeans
2000: First GMO legislation had been adopted for release in the field, no
food labeling, no monitoring, inspection and traceability
• GM field crops presence in the National Seed Variety Catalogue:
1999: one GM soybeans variety; one GM potato variety
2000: two GM soybeans varieties; one GM potato variety; one GM
sugar-beet variety; eight GM maize hybrids
2003: ten GM soybeans varieties
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

4. Romania: GMO Beginnings
Considerations:
• At the time GM crops have been introduced in the field (1999),
Romania had no legislation with respect to GMO (the first legislation
had been adopted in 2000)
• Romania was not prepared to administrate GM technology from
agronomic, economic and legal point of view
• Precaution Principle totally neglected in approaching GMO
• Desynchronized with EU - moratorium introduction
• No monitoring and control system designed for GMO
• No public information and participation (still missing even today)
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

5. Romania: GMO Present Situation
• Romania is the only European country allowing the cultivation of herbicide
resistant GM crops on large scale
• 2005: Out of 120000 Ha of GM soybeans the Ministry of Agriculture is reporting
85000 Ha while the biotech companies are reporting only 40000 Ha
• Huge acreage of GM soybeans planted with non-certified seed (70000 - 80000 Ha)
• Lack of GMO specialized officials in different governmental institutions: Ministry of
Environment, Ministry of Agriculture, Environment Protection Agencies,
Environmental National Guard, Consumer Protection National Authority, Sanitary
National Agency, Agriculture and Farmer Organizations, Food Industry
Organizations etc.: No certified testing laboratories (PCR or similar); No
monitoring, inspection and control; No GMO inspectors
• Unclear responsibilities in regulating, monitoring and controlling GM food:
Consumer Protection National Authority or Sanitary National Agency?
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

6. Romania: GMO Present Situation
• Despite the cultivation of GM crops and their presence on the market, there
is no public awareness about GMO
• There are no functional mechanisms to enable public access to information
on environmental releases of GMO and no procedures for public
consultation
• EU GMO legislation not fully translated and implemented
• EU accession will pose problems in applying CAP
• Romanian food industry will be under threat due to lack of labeling and
traceability
• Romania pharmaceutical industry will be jeopardized by the lack of any
GMO legislation, labeling and traceability
• Due to the fact that GM herbicide resistant soybeans is not approved in EU,
the member states and EC will put Romania “under fire” if planting will
continue
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

7. Romania: GMO Statistics
Ha/Year 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2007
Soy 70,650
Total Ha 99,800 117,000 44,800 71,800 128,800 122,400 140,000 (EU reference
(Min. of Ag.) acreage)
GM Soy
Total Ha 15500 32,200 17,300 31,100 39,600 58,100 85,000 ?
(Min. of Ag.)
GM Soy
Total Ha NA NA NA NA > 50,000 100,000 NA ?
(ISAAA)
GM Soy
Total Ha
(Biotech
NA NA NA NA NA 31,780 40,000 ?
companies)
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

8. GMO Romania: What is to be done?
• The recent EU Country Report - end of October 2005 - shows that Romania
needs to intensify its efforts with respect to GMO in order to be ready for EU
accession in 2007. Legislation must be adopted and implemented with respect
to traceability, labeling, monitoring and inspection. Romania must develop at
least 3 certified PCR laboratories for GMO test.
• The commercialization of GM crops could also have important social and
economic impact as Romania loses it export markets for agricultural and food
products in the European Union (EU), where consumers are demanding GMO-
free food.
• As Romania pro-GMO position has already posed problems in Europe, specially
in the Balkan Region, the country will have to decontaminate itself from
unapproved GM varieties and put in place working systems on releases of GMO
and on food labeling.
• The decontamination process is likely to take several years and Romania may
become a test-case for whether GM crop-plant decontamination is possible at
all.
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany

9. GMO Romania: What is to be done?
• Romania is a European country and must be a reliable and credible
member of EU family
• Romanian citizens are willing to act as European citizens
• Romania needs EU and your help and guidance in re-approaching
and administrating the sensitive GMO situation
• Please do offer your unconditional support to Romanian public and
authorities in managing the GMO problem
January 2006 Dragos Dima Berlin, Germany