Biotechnology

“The United States remains very concerned with European Union treatment of agricultural biotech products,” Gretchen Hamel, U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) spokeswoman, said January 11. USTR released the statement on the date when the "reasonable period of time" expired for EU compliance with World trade Organization (WTO) rulings in a dispute over trade in biotechnology products. “We are taking steps necessary under WTO rules to preserve our right in the WTO to suspend trade concessions,” Hamel said.

But she added that the U.S.'s goal was to normalize trade in biotech products, not to impose trade sanctions on EU goods. "The EU has committed to making biotech approval decisions based on science and without unnecessary delays, and it is in both parties’ interest for the EU to follow through on these commitments. Accordingly, we have agreed with the EU to suspend for a limited period the proceedings on our WTO request for authority to suspend concessions in order to provide the EU an opportunity to demonstrate meaningful progress on the approval of biotech products."

2008: Federal Register Notice: WTO Dispute Settlement Proceedings in the U.S.-EU Biotech Case (Jan 17, 2008) | U.S. to Evaluate EU Progress on Biotech Approvals, Temporarily Suspends WTO Sanctions Process (Jan 14, 2008)

The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled September 29, 2006, that a European Union moratorium on approvals of agricultural biotechnology products is illegal, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) says. The ruling in favor of "science-based policymaking over unjustified, anti-biotech policies" brings the United States "one step closer to clearing barriers ... and expanding global use of promising advances in food production," according to U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, the top U.S. trade negotiator. "I urge the EU to fully comply with its WTO obligations and consider all outstanding biotech product applications and evaluate their scientific merits in accordance with the EU's own laws," Schwab said. The decision upholds a challenge brought to the WTO in 2003 by the United States, Canada and Argentina. The three countries said the moratorium on biotech application approvals, adopted in 1998, did not comply with WTO trade rules. The WTO says its members' crop and food product safety regulations must be based on scientific evidence and not be used to interfere with the trade of safe products. Following the moratorium challenge, the EU approved "a handful" of biotech product applications but the broad ban remained in effect.

2006: World Trade Agency Upholds Challenge of European Biotech Ban (Sep 29, 2006) | U.S., European Commission Renew Biotech Task Force (Jun 12, 2006) | WTO Upholds U.S. Challenge to European Ban on Biotech Food (Feb 8, 2006) | Portman, Johanns Comment on WTO Biotech Case (Feb 7, 2006) | U.S.: WTO Biotech Decision Expected Soon (Jan 26, 2006)

2005: Report of U.S.-EU Seminar in Lille on Emerging Biotechnologies (Dec 4-5, 2005) | EU Certification Requirement on Corn Gluten An Overreaction (Apr 15, 2005)

2004: USAID Fact Sheet on Benefits of Biotech Crops (Jun 17, 2004) | USAID Fact Sheet on Assessing Biotech Crops for Safety (Jun 17, 2004) | USAID Fact Sheet on Global Use of Biotechnology (Jun 17, 2004) | USAID Fact Sheet Outlines Agricultural Biotechnology Basics (Jun 17, 2004) | USAID Fact Sheet on Establishing National Biosafety Systems (Jun 17, 2004)

2003: U.S. Requests WTO Panel to Consider European Biotech Bans (Aug 18, 2003) | U.S. Remains Committed to Partnership with "United Europe" (Jul 22, 2003) | U.S. Concerned that EU's Biotech Labeling Could be Burdensome (Jul 4, 2003) | USTR to Move Ahead on WTO Case against EU Biotech Regime (Jun 19, 2003) | U.S. Trade Rep Says EU Blocking Promise of Biotech Food (May 21, 2003) | U.S. Officials Confident of Winning WTO Biotech Case (May 15, 2003) | USTR Says WTO Biotech Ban Case Aims to Quell Fears (May 14, 2003) | USTR's Zoellick Says Spreading Fear Forced WTO Biotech Challenge (May 13, 2003) | USTR Details Urgency of Ending EU Ban on Biotech Food (May 13, 2003) | U.S., Others Filing WTO Challenge to EU Ban on Biotech (May 13, 2003) | EU Biotech Ban Based on Fear, Not Science, House Leader Says (Mar 26, 2003) | Zoellick, Lamy Discuss U.S.-EU, International Trade Agenda (Mar 5, 2003) | U.S. Seeks Partners for WTO Challenge to EU Biotech Moratorium (March 5, 2003) | U.S. Considering Action Against EU on Biotech Imports (Feb 21, 2003) | U.S. Patience With EU Growing Thin, Agriculture Secretary Says (Feb 20, 2003) | U.S. Continues to Seek Changes in EU Biotech Policy (Feb 13, 2003) | USTR Zoellick Criticizes European Biotech Obstructionism (Jan 24, 2003)