Brasília, August 13, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The Ministry of Environment will have to demand licenses and environmental impact studies from whoever intends to plant and commercialize transgenic soybeans. This information was provided by Minister Marina Silva, in comments on a judicial decision that removed restictions on both cultivation and commercialization. "The studies that exist are based on realities different from ours," the Minister explained to the National Congress.

The judicial decision overturned a judicial order prohibiting the cultivation and commercialization of transgenic soybeans. The order had been conceded to the Brazilian Consumer Protection Institute (Idec) and the Greenpeace organization. This year, Provisional Executive Order (MP) nº 113-03 allowed commercialization of the transgenic soybean crop until January 31, 2004. From this date on, according to the MP, all the remaining inventory should be incinerated.

Marina Silva explained that an interministerial group will submit a bill to Congress on this matter. "Given the absence of environmental security, we must be cautious. In any case, the Ministry's legal department is studying the whole process concerning transgenic soybeans," the Minister concluded. (DAS)