Many headlines about Monsanto this week. The southern countries of Latin America are trying to work out a common front against the US company's dogged campaign to charge royalties on GM seed. And in Europe, a legal challenge against Monsanto's patent on RoundUp-Ready crops was rejected by the European Patent Office. TITLE: Brazil To Study Argentina's Request On Monsanto Royalties AUTHOR: Taos Turner PUBLICATION: Dow Jones Newswires DATE: 4 April 2005 URL: http://money.iwon.com/jsp/nw/nwdt_rt.jsp?cat=USMARKET&src=7 04&feed=dji§ion=news&news_id=dji-00063320050404&date=200 50404&alias=/alias/money/cm/nw BRAZIL TO STUDY ARGENTINA'S REQUEST ON MONSANTO ROYALTIES 4 April 2005 BUENOS AIRES (Dow Jones) -- Brazil, the world's second-biggest soybean producer, will study a request from Argentina to limit the methods that U.S.-based biotechnology company Monsanto can use to collect royalties on the sale and use of its genetically modified soybean seeds. The seeds, known as Roundup Ready soybeans, are used pervasively in Argentina and in parts of southern Brazil. However, Monsanto has had trouble collecting royalties in both countries, as well as in Paraguay, where the seeds are also widely used. Monsanto has a patent on the seeds in Brazil but not in Argentina. Even so, Monsanto recently reached royalties agreements with farmers in both Brazil and Paraguay. To ensure that royalties are paid in Argentina, Monsanto has suggested that Argentine farmers pay a fee for the seeds whenever soybeans are exported. But Agriculture Secretary Miguel Campos has objected, saying such a system would be unfair. On Friday, Campos met with agricultural ministers from Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay to discuss the matter while on the sidelines of a separate conference in Colombia. After the meeting, Argentina's Agriculture Secretariat issued a statement saying that the ministers had come to agree that seeds should "only be paid for at the point of purchase." However, such an agreement could contravene Brazilian law, and on Monday Brazilian officials appeared to back away from Argentina's statement. Lino Colsera, vice-secretary of International Relations at Brazil's Agriculture Ministry, said Brazil would need to consider the legal ramifications of Argentina's proposal. "We reached the conclusion that the proposal needed to be analyzed by each country, considering each country's legal issues," Colsera told Dow Jones Newswires. "The Brazilian government believes that royalties need to be paid, and we'll discuss the issue later this month." Ministers from Argentina, Brazil and other members of the Southern Agricultural Council will meet in Paraguay later this month to discuss this and other regional farm issues. Before that, technical experts from each country will meet in Buenos Aires April 12-13, and the issue of royalties will be a "priority" at this meeting, Argentine officials have said. Colsera said Brazil should have an answer for Argentina by the end of the month. He said Brazil wants Monsanto to be able to collect royalties for the use of its seeds and that it is "looking for the best way" to make this happen. Monsanto declined to comment for this story. GOING FURTHER (compiled by GRAIN) "Regalías: acuerdo en Paraguay", AgriTotal, Buenos Aires, 6 de abril 2005. [El ministro de Agricultura y Ganadería de ese país señaló ayer que en el caso paraguayo existe un pleno acuerdo entre productores y Monsanto para el pago por el uso de soja transgénica.] http://www.agritotal.com/nota.asp?did=4164&sFecha=True&sIma gen=True Hilary Burke, "South American ministers reject Monsanto soy royalty plan", Reuters, 4 April 2005. http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/30205/st ory.htm APF, "El Cono Sur rechaza el canon que quiere cobrar Monsanto", APF Digital, Paraná, 3 de abril 2005. [Los países del Mercosur, Bolivia y Chile ?no aceptarán el pago de regalías en el grano ya que dicho planteo no se ajusta con la legislación y derechos de los países de la región?.] http://www.apfdigital.com.ar/despachos.asp?cod_des=40957 TITLE: European Patent Office rules not to revoke Monsanto-patent AUTHOR: Greenpeace International PUBLICATION: Press release DATE: 6 April 2005 URL: http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/press/release?it em_id=822957&campaign_id= Munich, 6 April 2005 EUROPEAN PATENT OFFICE RULES NOT TO REVOKE MONSANTO-PATENT The European Patent Office tonight decided to not to revoke the patent on Monsanto's Roundup Ready soy. The decision can pave the way for all biotech companies to patents on seeds. The European Patent Office tonight contravened law, life and common sense. They ruled against their own laws under the European Patent Convention (EPC), which prohibits patents on plant varieties and commercially grown seeds. They ruled against farmers worldwide, by opening the door for Monsanto and other biotech companies to further exert control over our food through monopolies on the availability and production of crops. And they ruled against common sense. The decision means if farmers start growing Monsanto's seeds, the harvest could become the property of the company in the end. Greenpeace will continue to oppose the application of these patents on a political level. European Governments should now take steps to ensure that the EPC regulations are not further abused. Greenpeace urges for a global ban for patents on seeds. GOING FURTHER (compiled by GRAIN) "Agencia europea: Monsanto posee patente de semillas transgénicas", Reuters, Hamburgo, 7 de abril de 2005. [Un organismo europeo dispuso que Monsanto sí tiene derecho a patentar sus semillas transgénicas en Europa, dijo el jueves un portavoz, lo que según algunos podría dar al gigante estadounidense de los agroquímicos el derecho a exigir regalías sobre cultivos argentinos.] http://espanol.news.yahoo.com/050407/2/z7fv.html "Monsanto gana disputa en Europa", EFE, 7 de abril 2005. [La EPA confirmó una controvertida patente de soja transgénica, concedida en 1996 al consorcio Monsanto, contra la que había presentado recurso la organización ecologista Greenpeace.] http://www.infobae.com/notas/nota.php?Idx=176464&IdxSeccion =100443 European Patent Office, "European patent on herbicide-tolerant plants limited", EPO Press Release, Münich, 6 April 2005. [Also in German and French.] http://www.european-patent-office.org/news/pressrel/2005_04 _06_2_e.htm