But Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman told the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier in the day that Europeans have deep-seated fears that the products aren't safe, even if science proves otherwise. Although American officials expected the EU move, U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky told the Senate panel that labeling or segregation of genetically altered products may violate world trade rules and could trigger a U.S. complaint. The fight is over use of genetic engineering for a wide range of farm purposes, including making plants tougher against pests and fattening cattle for market. The United States insists these practices are perfectly safe. Glickman planned to stress the subject today in a speech in London to the International Grains Council, a private industry organization the United States hopes will help change European attitudes toward genetic modifications.
Truth is truth.
Science is science. We cannot yield on that. The United States recently won a preliminary victory when a panel of the World Trade Organization ruled that the EU's ban on use of hormones in beef was unjustified because it was not based on science. Hormones are used in 90 percent of U.S. beef. The Europeans are expected to appeal that ruling after it is finalized, and they remain opposed to other U.S. goods and commodities that have been modified genetically.