Programme - European Conference on GMO-free Regions, biodiversity & rural development

09:00 – 11:00 Presentations

What is different about GM technologies?

Florianne Koechlin (Blauen Institute, GENET) – Presentation EU GMO free regions and zones – an overview
Agnés Ciccarone (AER) – Presentation
Geert Ritsema (Friends of the Earth) – Presentation The global situation and movements
Benedikt Haerlin (Foundation on Future Farming) – Presentation

11:30 – 13:30 Parallel workshops

A 1 – Basics of GM technology – Prof. Marcello Buiatti, Florianne Koechlin
A 2 – Risk assessment, precaution and approval processes – Daniel Ammann, Werner Müller, Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, Janne Kuil
A 3 – EU legislation on GMOs – Eric Gall, Dan Leskien, Benedikt Haerlin
A 4 – GMOs and biodiversity – Dr. Beatrix Tappeser, Dr. Brian Johnson
A 5 – Testing and controls of GMOs – Lutz Grohmann, Jochen Koester

15:00 – 17:00 Presentation of case studies

Austria
– Thomas Fertl, Consultant
– Sepp Eisl, Minister of Agriculture of Salzburg
France
– Pascale Loget (vize president of the regional council of Brittany)
– Eric Meunier (Inf’OGM)
Germany
– Johannes Niedeggen (gmo free Uckermark)
– Heike Moldenhauer (FOE, “fair neighbourhood” project of GM free regions)
Greece
– Yannis Stratakis (governor of Florina, Union of Greek prefectures)
– Myrto Pispini (Greenpeace Greece)
Hungary
– Balázs Kormos (Chamber of Agriculture Hajdú-Bihar)
– Erika Andrási (GMO free municipality of Karcag)
Italy
– Stefano Masini (Confederazione nationale Coldiretti)
– Luca Colombo (Consiglio dei Diritti Genetici)
Japan
– Ryoko Shimizu (Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Co-operative)
Poland
– Jadwiga Lopata (Int. Coalition to protect the Polish Countryside)
Spain
– Maria Ramos (COAG, Spanish farmers union)
Switzerland
– Maya Graf (member of Swiss Parliament)
– Daniel Amman (Swiss working group on Genetechnology)
Turkey
– Öykü Kaygusuz (The „NO to GMOs“ Platform of Turkey)
– Dr. Turgut Altuganiel (The „NO to GMOs“ Platform of Turkey)
UK
– Kenneth Richter (Friends of the Earth UK)
– Matthew Burgess (Councillor of Mid Devon District Council)

17:30 – 19:30 Panel discussion (public)

Matthias Berninger, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture; Germany
Gracia Mammucini, Region of Tuscany; Italy
Hans-Theo Jachmann, CEO Syngenta; Germany
Vera Mora, Hungarian Foundation for Environmental Partnership
Moderator: Christiane Grefe (“Die Zeit”, German weekly)

08:30 – 10:30 Parallel workshops

B 1 – GMO patents and seeds legislation – François Meienberg, Michael Miersch
B 2 – Science and technology assessment – case studies – Florianne Koechlin, Dr. Angelika Hilbeck, Dr. Ulrike Middelhof
B 3 – Trade rules and forces and commodities – Jochen Koester, Lindsay Keenan
B 4 – GMOs and protected areas – Josef Hoppichler, Christel Schmelzeisen, Barbara Niedeggen
B 5 – Coexistence and seeds – Benedikt Haerlin, Christian Schlatter
B 6 – GMO free regions and co-existence legislation in the EU – Geert Ritsema, Agnès Ciccarone

14:30 – 16:00 Parallel Workshops

C 1 – Community organisation and real alternatives to GMOs – Cornelia Wiethaler
C 2 – regional and local marketing of non-GMO quality products – Luca Colombo
C 3 – Consumers keep food processors and retailers GMO free – Lindsay Keenan
C 4 – Inter-regional and EU networking – Eric Meunier, Adrian Bebb, Hartmut Meyer
C 5 – Influencing national legislation on co-existence and GMOs – Dan Leskien, Thomas Fertl, Dan Belusa

16:30 – 18:00