EU Lifts Ban on Genetically Modified Foods, but Adds Conditi

Broadcast: July 15, 2003
This is Bill White with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
On July second, the European 1)Parliament agreed to let new 2)genetically¹ changed products enter the European Union. Several E-U nations temporarily halted the import of new genetically changed foods five years ago. The law approved this month makes an end to this action possible. However, it creates new requirements.
Parliament voted in Brussels to expand the requirements to identify genetically changed products. Under the new rules, all foods that contain point-nine percent or more of genetically 3)modified 4)organisms must be labeled. Even foods produced with such material but without any in the final product must be labeled. So must all genetically changed animal feed.
The European Union approved a number of genetically changed products in the nineteen-nineties. But some countries put in place an unofficial ban in nineteen-ninety-eight.
The United States has repeatedly criticized the ban. On June twenty-sixth, Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman spoke² to reporters. They said the United States would push forward with a case against the E-U in the World Trade Organization.
Mister Zoellick said the E-U ban has hurt not only American farmers but also hungry people in Africa. He said "irresponsible" statements about food safety have caused some African countries to refuse American food aid. Mister Zoellick said a number of countries are joining the effort to end the E-U policy. He also pointed³ to studies that show genetically changed foods to be safe.
The vote by the European Parliament has cleared the way to remove the ban. But this is not the end of the issue. The E-U is also requiring that full and complete records be kept on genetically changed products. The E-U calls this “traceablility.” It means that documents must show how genetically changed products moved through the food supply.
American suppliers say the new E-U requirements are too costly⁴. They say they are also concerned that Europeans will not want to buy foods labeled as genetically changed. There are no such requirements in the United States.
European Union officials say the issue is not about safety. They say Europeans want to be able to choose what they eat.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Bill White.

注释：
1) parliament [5pB:lEmEnt] n.国会, 议会
2) genetically [dVi5netikEli] adv.基因遗传地
3) modified [5mCdifaid] adj.改良的, 改进的
4) organism [5C:^EnizEm] n.生物体, 有机体

1 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。