Letter from Concerned Bulgarian citizens and farmers to Mr. Jerzy Buzek regarding GMO in Bulgaria

There is great symbolism and link between the topic of your lecture today, „Europe and Freedom”, and the recent developments in Bulgaria on the issues of GMO policy and national legislation! Over the last 3 months the Bulgarian civil society has been in great agitation over this issue and has engaged very actively into a dialogue with the law-makers and the government in order to ensure a legislative outcome that would guarantee a GMO-Free Bulgaria!

Over the last 2 months our campaign was heard and joined by thousands of Bulgarian citizens. The overwhelming response from our society is that we stand firmly to preserve our beautiful country and food free from GMOs. In January and February the children of Bulgaria made more than 2000 cards addressed to our Prime Minister, Mr. Boiko Borisov, urging him to guarantee that our country will remain untouched by GMOs and that Bulgaria will be a GMO-free state. As we learned of your upcoming visit, we collected another set of hundreds of cards in just a week to address you and to request your political commitment and support for a transparent and citizen-involving policy discussion on the GMO agenda at EU level.

As EU citizens, it is imperative for us that EU’s policy on GMO remain one of non-liberalisation and utmost caution in the approval of any GMO release and consumption matters.

For us the health and safety of European citizens and nature are of utmost importance and this concern overrides any individual, business, institutional or other interests!

We believe that GMO policy should be subject to solid and independent scientific verification, wise policy, and an informed public approval.

That is why we stand and call for:

* A fully restraining, non-GMO-release policy at EU level combined with ongoing rigorous, independently corroborated scientific and field assessment of GMOs real effect on humans and nature;
* A transparent and open process of informing and involving the EU citizens, non-governmental organisations, scientific circles, etc. at EACH stage of GMO impact assessments prior to any political decision to open the doors for GMOs in nature and in food and feed.

As the authorisation of the Amflora potatoes by the EC is the latest event that questions to what extent the European authorities serve and respect the needs and opinion of the majority of the European citizens, we do address you and plead that you:

* use your political powers and contacts to stimulate immediate coordinated political actions of all involved in the political process EU bodies (incl. the European Commission and European Parliament) to reverse the GMO liberalisation decision of March 2nd, 2010;
* use your given powers to address the European Council at the earliest upcoming occasion and possibility, and to acquaint them with the overwhelming voice of European Union citizens against GMO liberalisation;
* push the issue higher on the agenda of the EP members and communicate the civic voice into the decision-making process of the Commission.

We remain open and willing to continue the dialogue with you and the EP on this issue, and thus ensure a democratic and transparent decision and law-making at EU level!

Concerned Bulgarian citizens and farmers