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General remarks

Legal action against GMO Dr. Christoph Palme The Institute for nature protection and nature protection law Tübingen, Germany Herrmannsdorf, 14.10.2006. General remarks. What for measures can be targeted in the courts? Who has legal standing? Necessity of early action and advise

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General remarks

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  1. Legal action against GMODr. Christoph PalmeThe Institute for nature protection and nature protection law Tübingen, GermanyHerrmannsdorf, 14.10.2006

  2. General remarks What for measures can be targeted in the courts? Who has legal standing? Necessity of early action and advise Basic terms and concepts Biased scientists as real judges No precedences/new statutes/fishy rules controversial legal issues detailed examination of each single case indispensable Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  3. Right to be free from hunger (Art. 11 para 2 international covenant on social rights) The States Parties to the present Covenant, recognizing the fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger, shall take, individually and through international co-operation, the measures, including specific programmes, which are needed: (a) To improve methods of production, conservation and distribution of food by making full use of technical and scientific knowledge, by disseminating knowledge of the principles of nutrition and by developing or reforming agrarian systems in such a way as to achieve the most efficient development and utilization of natural resources; (b) Taking into account the problems of both food-importing and food-exporting countries, to ensure an equitable distribution of world food supplies in relation to need. Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  4. Right to be free from hunger (Art. 11 para 2 international covenant on social rights) Combatting hunger as main issue significance in international law: primarily in politics, only indirecty in legal terms significance in the respective state: depends on its constitution and the whether hunger is an issue Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  5. WTO law • Current state of the panel proceedings • fairy tales and the truths of the panel decision • double standard of the EU-commission regarding • risk assessments? • pivotal statements of the panel report • the role of the protocol of cartagena • amicus brief? Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  6. Penal law/offenses regarding German GE Law • Which persons can be involved? • Unauthorises experimental release: 3 years/fine • Unauthorised placing on the market: • 1 year/fine, if negligent • 3 years/fine, if intentional • - 3 years also if putting in peril objectsof legal protection by negligence • International aspects (Bayer LL601) • ample offenses in German GE law Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  7. EU-law/proceedings instituted by states • potential subject matters • admissibility • legal grounds Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  8. EU-law/proceedings instituted by citizens potential subject matters admissibility preliminary ruling legal grounds Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  9. Review of the German GE law German Constitution EU-law International covenants Existing law probably in line § 34 a BNatSchG? § 28 a GenTG? Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  10. Infringement of the Seehofer draft legalisation of contaminations stemming from experimental releases state funded compensation scheme Protection of ecologically sensitive areas 0,9 threshold does not secure use of property of GMO-free production Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  11. Infringement of the Seehofer draft Organic farmers not sufficienty protected good professional practice not sufficient Necessity of two gpp-regimes? (one for conventional/one for organic farming?) "Specifying" of joint and several liability limits in permitting derogations by private parties (Märka Modell) Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  12. litigation against experimental releases - concept of experimental release delimitation of experiments with GM- products - Who may litigate? - legal grounds: - environment/health issues - co-existence - nature protection - simplified procedures - preclusive effects? Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  13. Litigation of environmental NGOs against GMO in general currently no general litigation possibilities be it experimental or commercial releases Aarhus-Convention does NOT cover GMOs ---> the only rewarding approach is using protected areas as legal vehicle Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  14. Litigation of NGOs against GMO at areas protected by national law Statutary protection status miserable though by invoking higher ranking european law and the german constitution, the following seems possible: dispensation procedure at areas protected by national law grants right of action GMOs near areas protected by national law Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  15. Litigation of NGOs against GMO at areas protected by european law If area is designated, right of action within the dispensation procedures even if not in but near of the area If area so far is only listed, some german state laws prescribe impact assessment usually no right of action in those cases Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  16. Litigation of NGOs against GMO at areas protected by european law Notified areas may grant right of action in case of impact assessment by state law No right of action if involved: - the balance of notified areas - potential EU-protection areas - actual bird protection areas Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  17. civil law claims neighbourhood claims farmes/hobby-farmes/bantam campaign significant adverse effects claims against other perpetrators transport/stocking/authorities: relation to plot of land and neighbourhood law? claims against suppliers what if GMO-free is not warranted? interface farmer/consumer below 0,9 % Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  18. Neighourhood actions against experimental releases administrative act shaping private law? - litigation on termination - litigation on protection measures - litigation on liability is there a co-existence caveat? defense/liability actions cover: - contamination more than 0,1 % - infringements of property/health Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  19. Neigbourhood actions against cultivation switching point: good professional practiceconstitutional? actionable thresholds - without consent: limit of detection - contamination > 0,9 - contamination < 0,9 preliminary ruling? Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  20. joint and several liability • - alternative and/or cumulative causation • - what potential to damages necessary? • - precedence of assessment of individual • causation share • - transport and supply also comprised? • - costs of analysing • - level of compensation • - partially own fault of claimant Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  21. GMO-free regions (GFR) • - voluntarily • - secured by mixture of sovereign • instruments • - general opportunities • - municipal actions ag. experimental • releases? • - limited prohibition of cultivation? • - biosphere reserves etc. Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  22. GMO-free regions (GFR) - closed cultivation areas - labelling "without GMO" - GFR under the open concept of significant adverse effect - role of constitutional law - demands for EU-framework may backfire Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  23. hazardous incidents (LL601 rice/Bayer) liability action against Bayer in the US? liability action against Bayer in Germany? - court of jurisdiction - choice of law governing the case - establishment of fault/assignment of responsibility - scope of damage - effects of subsequent authorisation Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  24. hazardous incidents (LL601 rice/Bayer) state liability actions against german authorities state liability actions against EU- Commission opting up in hazardous incidents Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  25. seed thresholds politically negotiationed < 0, 5 % Which threshold is legally binding? current litigation possibilities litigation possibilities in case of adoption of new thresholds Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  26. misleading advertising of food companies freedom of Information actions actions according to the EU-environmental liability directive Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

  27. DISCLAIMER This presentation of a general overview under no whatsoever circumstance can replace the legal advise and counselling necessary for consideration of the respective case! Dr. Christoph Palme Institut für Naturschutz und Naturschutzrecht Tübingen

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