The poplars go abroad
October 6, 2008
VIB is temporarily moving poplars cultivated for the 2008 growth season to Germany, where they – unlike in Belgium – are allowed to be put in open air without any trouble. For this, the same strict precaution measures are applied as would be the case in Belgium, in order to prevent genetic material from spreading in nature. By doing so, VIB avoids wasting the material.
October 20, 2008
The Council of State hears the advice of its Auditor. He rejects the arguments of the ministers, and adds that their refusal “can endanger the further financing and even existence of VIB”, and that the investment in ten years of top research “treatens to become nullified”.
October 23, 2008
The readers of the Belgian scientific magazine Eos, and the listeners of Radio 1, choose the late Paul Janssen (of pharmaceutical fame) as greatest Belgian scientist of all time. VIB-researcher Marc Van Montagu comes second, with the smallest margin. Prof. em. Van Montagu, together with the late Jef Schell, devised the “Agrobacterium”-technology, which now is in worldwide use for genetic engineering of plants.
October 29, 2008
VIB files a permit request for the same field test, now in the Dutch province Zeeland. Thus, VIB wants to increase the chances of the field being launched in 2009. It goes without saying that VIB would rather perform the field test in Flanders, close to the related research centre. Whether this will prove to be possible, depends entirely on the federal ministers. Indeed, they need to be willing to come round and turn back the decision to deny the permit. The permit request in The Netherlands, therefore, should be considered as an extra insurance.
December 8, 2008
The Dutch government received a positive advice from the Netherlands Commission on Genetic Modification (COGEM) concerning the poplar field trial. The next steps are drafting a permit, consulting the public and incorporating the reactions into a final permit. The whole procedure will normally be finalized in spring 2009. Read more in the press release.
December 16, 2008
In coordination with the Dutch Ministry of the Environment (which handles the permit request), VIB organizes a neighborhood information evening. The goal is to provide information to people living in the neighborhood of the trial farm, where the trial is set to be carried out, and to offer them the opportunity to ask questions. The questions are quite to the point, and the evening passes in a positive mood.
The Calvary Continued...
Read here.
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