Press Release Issued by no2gm 05.09.2012

If ever it were appropriate to apply the legal maxim “Justice delayed is Justice denied” the developments at the High Court yesterday was the perfect example of how this maxim is still true today.

no2gm along with 11 other independent individuals were denied their rights as EU citizens by the court to obtain protection under the Aarhus Convention (ratified by the EU in 2005) to access justice that is not prohibitively expensive.

The matter at hand is in relation to the EPA’s granting of a licence to Teagasc on July 25th 2012 to release GM potatoes into the Irish countryside as part of a programme of trials. The approval allowed a 3 month period in which a Judicial Review can be taken against the EPA’s decision.

Irish law, as it is being applied at present, means that the costs for such a review, have been quoted at circa €300,000 plus VAT. That is even if you win and this is only for the costs of your own side.

Colin Keogh, Secretary of no2gm stated “that when it comes to our access to justice under the Aarhaus Convention the Irish people are being treated as second class EU Citizens, they are not afforded the same rights as other nationalities within the EU to challenge administrative decisions of Government”.

“For the case of no2gm and the 11 other applicants the clock is ticking on this urgent matter, Teagasc have taken the despicable decision to plant out the GM potatoes within the period for Judicial Review”.

“The Irish public need to consider the fundamental principle at play here, that is, unless you are very, very rich you have no rights in this country to question decisions made by the State”.

no2gm are calling on the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney to do the only decent and right thing and that is to use his power to instruct Teagasc to take the GM potato plants out of the ground and secure them internally until our access to justice rights are fully resolved. “Minister Coveney is ultimately responsible for the actions taken by Teagasc, it is incomprehensible that a State agency would act like some cowboy developer in this way and a Minister sits back and does nothing. The Minister, Teagasc and the EPA all have obligations under the Aarhaus Convention. All we are asking for is our rights as EU Citizens and that the Minister puts this trial on hold while we access these rights through the courts” Keogh said.

Back To News & Events