Greenpeace found guilty
of violating property and privacy
7/27/2006
The French General Association of Maize Growers (AGPM - Association Générale des Producteurs de Maïs) is pleased with the judge’s ruling handed down on July 26 ordering Greenpeace to withdraw information from its Website concerning the property and personal references of two farmers.
The judge found in favour of two AGPM members who had chosen, and quite legally so, to grow duly authorised GM varieties, despite media campaigns and pressure, and the illegal and violent action undertaken by certain movements. AGPM is therefore pleased with the decision which shows proper respect for the law, and rejects illegal practices and methods.
The background is that as part of the Greenpeace campaign against GMOs, and to “retaliate” against the verdict handed down by the Court of Appeal in Orléans in the case concerning the “volunteer reapers” [“faucheurs volontaires”], Greenpeace had published details on its Website giving the full names of the two farmers, the GPS location of their plots planted with GM maize and the administrative communes concerned, plus aerial photographs of the plots.
The farmers then brought proceedings against Greenpeace to have the information withdrawn from the Website, arguing that its inclusion was illegal, and observing that there was an imminent threat to their safety, their families’ and their property.
The ruling, which has just been handed down, is quite explicit:
- that as this is duly authorised commercial production, such production does not have to be publicly notified, contrary to the arguments presented by Greenpeace in comments on European Directive 2001/18. - that Greenpeace has invaded the privacy of the farmers. - that the Greenpeace campaign constitutes a danger to the farmers and their families. AGPM President, Christophe Terrain, stated that his organisation fully supported the two family farmers who had been granted the right to privacy and to safety, and criticised both the strategy and methods used by Greenpeace which, with some pretension, makes the following statement on its Website: “Greenpeace believes you have a fundamental right to privacy on the web, and we work to protect your security online as vigorously as possible.” No Comment
Greenpeace found guilty
of violating property and privacy