Breeda Moynihan-Cronin (Kerry South, Labour)
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Question 154: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the basis for her conclusion that proposed new legislation on organic production, combined with national coexistence measures, will provide sufficient safeguards to enable organic production to reach its full potential here; the way such proposed legislation and national coexistence measures shall prevent the exit of organic farmers here from the industry due to the adventitious presence of genetically modified organisms like those reported to have been responsible for some Spanish farmers withdrawal from organic agriculture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3746/07]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The proposed new EU Regulation on organic production states unequivocally that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and products produced from or by GMOs may not be used as food, feed, processing aids, plant protection products, fertilisers, soil conditioners, seeds, vegetative propagating material, micro-organisms and animals in organic production.

However the Regulation recognises that there is some risk that GMOs may be introduced unintentionally to organic crops. The proposed co-existence measures will focus on creating conditions during the cultivation, harvest, transport and storage of crops that minimise the possibility of contamination and on ensuring that conventional and organic growers can keep the adventitious presence of GMOs in their crops below the labelling thresholds established in Community law. Measures are also proposed to provide redress to an organic farmer who suffers verifiable economic loss as a result of admixture of GM crops with non-GM crops.